Harijan girl beaten in school by outsiders

Soma Das, a Class X student of CM Ayub Girl's High School in Thakurgaon town, is visibly upset as her classmate's mother and brother beat her mercilessly inside her classroom yesterday. The photo was taken at Thakurgaon Sadar Police Station where she was taken after the incident. PHOTO: COLLECTED

Intruders beat a female student of Class-X inside the classroom of CM Ayub Girls' High School in the town yesterday.

Soma Das, 15, daughter of Bijoy Das of Fakirpara Harijan colony in the municipality area, faced the wrath of the mother and brother of her classmate Afsana Begum, for visiting the latter's house, said the victim and school sources.

"Fatema Begum, mother of Class-X student Afsana Begum of the school, and her son Farukh Hossain entered the school forcibly around 11:30am. They beat Soma Das inside the classroom, blaming her of stealing a mobile set," Dipendranath Jha, headmaster of the school, told this correspondent over cell phone.

The girl started bleeding from the nose and mouth due to the beating.

On information, police went to the school and brought Fatema Begum and the victim to the police station.

Shortly afterwards, local Ward Councilor Waliur Rahman went to the police station and brought them to school and arranged an arbitration after calling guardians of Soma and Afsana in presence of the headmaster.

When the matter was disclosed to the local police high-ups and newsmen, police asked the victim's guardian to file a case against the offenders.

Soma Das told this correspondent, "After I came to school from Afsana's house, her mother Fatema and brother Farukh came to school and said a mobile phone was stolen from their house.

"They searched my bag but didn't find any phone. After sometime, they came again and wanted to search my bag again. But without completing the search, they said the phone was found from here. And they started beating me in the classroom.

"As I am from the Harijan community, Afsana's guardians could not accept my visiting her at the house and beat me, falsely blaming me for stealing.

Waliur Rahman said he tried to settle the matter as it was a trifling incident.

Headmaster Dipendranath Jha said, "I didn't say anything as the local influential people came to settle the matter."

"It seems that the incident occurred as Afsana's guardian could not accept visiting the house by her classmate Soma, a Harijan girl," said Abu Hanif, sub-inspector of the local police station.

Additional Superintendent of Police Dewan Lalon Ahmed said they have taken the matter seriously and police will take stern action after proper investigation.

Procedure of filing a case was on as of submitting this report at 6:00pm.