The mother of a seven-year-old girl has come forward with her account of an alleged sexual harassment incident at a madrasah in Tongi, where a teacher has been arrested over allegations that he inappropriately touched the child.
Madrasah authorities have maintained that the teacher, Muslemuddin Ahmed, merely promised to kiss students as a reward for performing well in exams and did not actually do so.
Some Islamic scholars have also defended the teacher's alleged conduct, arguing that even if he kissed the girl, it was not necessarily improper if there was no ill intent. Others have criticised the girl's father, Shahjalal Rumi, for confronting the teacher and assaulting him publicly before his arrest.
According to the case statement, the alleged incident took place on the stairs of the madrasah's ground floor on Monday, October 19. Police have said their preliminary findings supported the allegations.
The case has triggered a wider dispute, with Rumi reportedly receiving death threats and facing complaints filed by madrasah authorities. The complaints accuse him and his associates of vandalising the premises, assaulting teachers and stealing Tk 17 lakh and five mobile phones.
Madrasah founder and principal Almas Hossain has alleged that the incident was orchestrated to damage the institution's reputation. He claimed that a group of 15 to 16 people led by Rumi entered the premises and assaulted the teacher. He also alleged that some members of the group were Hindus and suggested, without presenting evidence in the account provided, that Rumi was an agent of India's external intelligence agency.
Almas further claimed that other teachers and security personnel were beaten when they tried to intervene, and that the group's members vandalised the principal's office and stole money and mobile phones.
At a late-night press conference on Friday, Rumi acknowledged breaking the glass top of a table in anger when he visited the madrasah on Wednesday because the teacher was not being brought before him. He said he would compensate the institution for the damage but denied the theft allegations.
Rumi also denied arriving with a large group or attempting to form a mob, saying he had brought only three friends. Almas's account of the group's size also appeared to change, from 15 to 16 people initially to five to seven in later statements.
The principal has continued to deny that a kiss or inappropriate touching occurred. He has maintained that the teacher only promised to kiss students and distributed chocolates, adding that no other students had complained to their parents.
The girl's mother's account is significant because the child reportedly spoke to her about the incident after it allegedly occurred, and the mother was involved in raising the complaint with the madrasah authorities.