A substitute teacher accused of sexually abusing six young pupils at a residential madrasa in Narail has been apprehended following a multi-district police operation.
The suspect, 25-year-old Mahbubur Rahman, was arrested during a pre-dawn raid on Sunday in the Kalagachhar area under Gacha Police Station of the Gazipur Metropolitan Police. The arrest was formally confirmed by Ajay Kumar Kundu, Officer-in-Charge (Investigation) of Narail Sadar Police Station.
Mahbubur, hailing from Balarampur village in the Maizpara Union of Narail Sadar Upazila, was employed as an instructor in the Hifz department at the Taseer Uddin Hafezia Madrasa, located in the Dumurtala area of Narail Municipality. He had been appointed on a temporary basis to fill in for a permanent staff member attending a 45-day professional training course. According to police files and court documentation, Mahbubur used his position of trust to intimidate and sexually assault several young boarders during his tenure.
The offences were uncovered on 28 August when the mother of an eight-year-old pupil visited the institution to meet her son. The child disclosed that the teacher had abused him the previous evening.
The mother promptly brought the matter to the attention of the madrasa administration. During subsequent questioning by authorities and family members, the child recounted the encounter in detail. Encouraged by this disclosure, five other residential pupils came forward with similar accounts of abuse involving the same instructor.
As news of the allegations spread through the community, Mahbubur fled the residential campus to evade capture. The mother of one of the victims lodged a formal complaint at Narail Sadar Police Station on 5 September, initiating a tracking operation. Utilizing digital technology and intelligence gathering, law enforcement officers pinpointed his hideout in Gazipur and executed a swift operation to take him into custody.
“Following a criminal case filed by the mother of one of the victims regarding the abuse of six young students, police conducted a targeted operation and arrested the suspect from Gazipur,” Inspector Ajay Kumar Kundu said. “During preliminary questioning, the accused confessed to the assault of all six pupils. Legal formalities have been concluded, and he has been produced before the court.”
The medical evaluation and forensic examination of the young victims are currently under way to support the prosecution’s case. The incident has caused intense concern amongst local residents, prompting renewed calls for rigorous background checks, strict safeguarding protocols, and enhanced oversight within residential religious educational centres.
