Police in Chandina, Cumilla, have arrested a 32-year-old madrasa teacher following allegations of sexual abuse made by a male student. The suspect, Hafiz Monir Hossain, was taken into police custody from the Dollai Nawabpur Union Parishad complex at around 8:30 pm on Tuesday, 18 August.
The alleged assault occurred late on Monday night inside Nawabpur Markazun Noor Madrasa, located in the Dollai Nawabpur market area under Chandina upazila. The suspect, a resident of Rasulpur village in neighbouring Maizkhar Union, served as a resident religious instructor at the institution.
According to the victim’s statement, the teacher called him into his private room late on Monday night under the guise of requesting a head and leg massage. Once inside the room, the instructor allegedly subjected the young student to sexual abuse.
The following morning, the student returned home and revealed the details of the incident to his family. Outraged by the account, local residents confronted the instructor at the institution. During initial questioning by community members, Monir Hossain reportedly admitted to the act. Enraged by the confession, an angry crowd assaulted the teacher before bringing him to the Dollai Nawabpur Union Parishad office.
Events subsequently escalated when local village elders, led by Dollai Nawabpur Union Parishad Chairman Md Shahjahan Miah, organized an informal village arbitration (salish) inside the local council building in an attempt to settle the matter privately between the involved parties.
Union Parishad Chairman Md Shahjahan Miah confirmed the mediation effort, noting that both families had approached the council seeking an out-of-court compromise, which led community leaders to convene the session prior to police involvement.
The informal settlement attempt was interrupted when local journalists informed law enforcement of the ongoing arbitration regarding a serious criminal offence. Officers from Chandina Police Station moved quickly to the Union Parishad office, halted the informal hearing, and took the suspect into custody.
Chandina Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Md Nuruzzaman confirmed the arrest, stating that officers acted immediately upon receiving reports from journalists regarding the unauthorized tribunal. The suspect was taken to the police station for official booking. Police confirmed that the victim’s family is preparing to lodge a formal criminal case against the teacher to initiate formal court proceedings.
