Social stigma haunts girl

A girl student of Shaskandor Senior Madrasa in Saidpur upazila stopped attending classes after alleged sexual harassment by a madrasa peon on September 3.

Protesting the madrasa principal's dilly-dallying to take action and demanding punishment of the accused, locals formed human chains in front of the madrasa and filed a written complaint to the upazila nirbahi officer (UNO).

The victim, 14, a Class VI student of the madrasa, is daughter of Mostafizur Rahman, a rickshaw puller of the upazila's Kutipara village. 

"During the tiffin period around 1:30pm on September 3, I was alone in the classroom. Madrasa peon Habibur Rahman, 56, entered there and sexually harassed me," said the girl in her complaint to the principal.

“I told our teacher Nilufar Begum of the matter immediately and she took me to the principal,” the girl told this correspondent as he went to her village home to inquire about the matter yesterday noon.

"But the principal pressed me to conceal the matter for the sake of the madrasa's honour," said the girl, breaking into tears.

“At the advice of Nilufar madam, I lodged a written complaint to the principal,” she said.

The victim's mother Jharna Begum said her daughter has stopped going to the madrasa out of shame as some people started speaking ill of her.

There is no action against the accused even after three weeks, said the victim's father Mostafizur Rahman.

Contacted, madrasa principal Abdul Mannan Sarker said, “The madrasa authority formed a three-member committee on September 4 to investigate the matter. We will take stern action against the accused if the victim's allegation is found true."

Surprisingly, the principal expressed doubt about genuineness of the girl's complaint.

Abu Saleh Md Musa Jongi, UNO of Saidpur, said he got complaint from locals regarding the matter and directed the upazila education officer to see the matter.