Hafez Yahiya, a teacher of the Markazul Quran Islamic Academy Madrasa at Hathazari in Chattogram, was sent to jail for mercilessly beating up an eight-year old student.
Judicial Magistrate of Chattogram Jihan Sanjida ordered him to be sent to jail after he was produced before the court on Thursday afternoon.
Hafez Yahya, son of Mohammad Yunus of Sarafvata village at Rangunia upazila in Chattogram, was arrested from Kamal Para Animal Hospital area of Hathazari municipal town on Wednesday afternoon, said Officer-in-Charge (OC-Operation) of Hathazari Police Station Mohammad Touhid.
Meanwhile, the High Court has ordered the authorities concerned to provide details on what legal steps are being taken against the madrasa teacher for beating up the child named Md Yasin Farhad.
The HC bench of Justice FRM Nazmul Ahasan and Justice Shahed Nuruddin issued the order on Thursday after a Deputy Attorney General drew the attention of the court to the matter.
Deputy Commissioner (DC) of Chattogram, Superintendent of Police (SP) of the district and Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Hathazari Police Station will have to respond in this regard by March 14.
The court also sought information on whether the child received medical treatment following the incident, whether his family was intimidated or was provided with security. After examining the compliance report, the High Court will pass necessary directives, said Deputy Attorney General Abdullah Al Mahmud Bashar. He also said that besides the issue of taking legal steps, the court asked whether the teacher was arrested and whether he was sacked from the madrasa. The court also asked whether the responsibility of dismissing the teacher lies with the district education officer.
Abdullah Al Mahmud Bashar added, “Such incidents have been frequent in the country. Madrasa students are being tortured by their teachers. However, we don’t know what steps were taken in this regard later. Consequently, such episodes are recurring. How humanely we should treat the children is a matter of ethics. But nothing appears to restrain them.”
The incident took place at the madrasa on Tuesday evening when his mother visited her son there. The child followed the mother on her way out and Hafez Yahiya, the teacher of the madrasa, then took him inside the madrasa by the scruff of his neck and began striking him with a cane.
The video of the torture went viral within some hours of the incident, which sparked widespread outrage on social media. Later, Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) of Hathajari Md Ruhul Amin led an operation to rescue the child.
Following the High Court’s order, OC of Hathazari Police Station Rafiqul Islam said that they are taking legal steps in this regard. The victim’s father Mohammad Joynal filed a case against the teacher on Wednesday.
He, however, said, “The boy’s family cried and begged us to release the teacher. Even the mobile court could not give him any punishment. The madrasa teacher signed an undertaking before release. Later, he was detained again.”
