Barishal Police Arrest Madrasa Teacher Accused of Sexually Assaulting Student

Law enforcement officers have arrested a 26-year-old assistant teacher accused of sexually assaulting a 12-year-old residential student at a madrasa in Babuganj, Barishal, ending a police manhunt that lasted nearly three and a half months.

The accused, identified as Md Masum Billah, a resident of Chowk Hiyatpur village under Singra upazila in Natore district, served as an assistant teacher at Al Iqra Darul Uloom Noorani and Hafijia Madrasa in Babuganj upazila.

Following a confidential tip-off, a police team conducted a raid at the suspect’s ancestral home in Singra on the night of 31 July, successfully bringing him into custody. On Saturday, 1 August, Masum Billah was presented before a local magistrate’s court, which remanded him into judicial custody pending formal court proceedings, confirmed Mijanur Rahman, Officer-in-Charge of Babuganj Police Station.

Chronology of the Offence and Initial Investigation

According to the official First Information Report (FIR), the alleged crime took place during the early hours of 16 March, at approximately 1:00 am. The victim, a 12-year-old residential student enrolled in the institution’s Hifz department, was awakened from sleep by the instructor. The teacher allegedly escorted the child behind a curtained partition within the premises and sexually abused him.

After returning home, the boy disclosed the traumatic ordeal to his family. On 11 April, the child’s father filed a formal criminal case against the instructor at Babuganj Police Station under the provisions of the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act.

Following the registration of the case, law enforcement authorities transferred the victim to Sher-e-Bangla Medical College Hospital in Barishal for comprehensive forensic and medical evaluations to secure clinical evidence for the prosecution.

Manhunt and Broader Safeguarding Concerns

The suspect absconded immediately after the incident was reported to the institution’s authorities, successfully evading capture by relocating to Natore district. Police investigators tracked his movements over a three-and-a-half-month period before executing the arrest.

Legal proceedings are moving forward, with police gathering forensic findings and witness statements prior to submitting a formal charge sheet to the judiciary. The case has reignited public calls for rigorous regulatory oversight and institutional child safeguarding measures across residential religious schools in the region.