Mosque Muazzin Arrested for Attempted Child Assault During Religious Lessons

Police have apprehended a 22-year-old mosque muazzin in Gaibandha’s Sadullapur upazila for allegedly detaining and attempting to sexually assault a seven-year-old female student. The arrest was made directly from the scene after local residents and the victim’s family alerted the authorities via the national emergency helpline, 999.

Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Sadullapur Police Station, Habibul Islam Habib, confirmed the details of the incident on Friday night, 26 June. According to law enforcement officials, the distressing event took place earlier that afternoon at the Maktab—a traditional religious school—attached to the Kishamatbagchi Akandapara Jame Mosque, located within the Kamarpara union of the upazila.

The detained suspect has been identified as Monir Hossain, the serving muazzin of the local mosque. He is the son of Milon Miah, a resident of the same neighbourhood.

Details of the Incident

Local residents and police sources reported that children from the village had gathered at the mosque premises for their routine afternoon religious lessons. At around 5:00 pm, once the session concluded, Monir Hossain dismissed the rest of the class but craftily instructed the seven-year-old victim to stay behind under a false pretext.

Once the other students had departed and the facility was completely deserted, the suspect allegedly trapped the young girl inside the room and attempted to assault her. Hearing the child’s cries for help, nearby residents and passers-by rushed to the scene. They caught the suspect red-handed and immediately secured the premises to prevent him from fleeing.

Emergency Response and Legal Action

Following the confrontation, the distraught family members utilised the 999 emergency services to report the crime. A dispatch team from the Sadullapur Police Station arrived promptly at the location, took custody of the suspect from the gathered crowd, and transported him to the station house.

Commenting on the ongoing investigation, OC Habibul Islam Habib stated that Monir Hossain remains in police custody under active interrogation. He emphasised that formal legal proceedings would commence as soon as the victim’s family files an official complaint (Ejahar). The police are currently assisting the family with the necessary paperwork while arranging the child’s formal statement and mandatory medical examinations. The incident has sparked widespread outrage across the sub-district, with community members demanding a swift trial and exemplary punishment for the perpetrator.