Qawmi Madrasas: Children exposed to abuse amid lack of safeguards

Detailed summary

Around 25,000 Qawmi madrasas in Bangladesh are currently educating an estimated 70 lakh students, but many of these non-governmental Islamic schools do not have enforceable child…

Around 25,000 Qawmi madrasas in Bangladesh are currently educating an estimated 70 lakh students, but many of these non-governmental Islamic schools do not have enforceable child protection policies or the measures needed to keep children safe.

Complaint mechanisms are inconsistent and oversight is weak in these institutions, leaving children vulnerable to abuse, especially in madrasas with dormitories.

Recent allegations of sexual abuse, physical assault and intimidation of over two dozen madrasa students in several districts have exposed how institutional failures can leave children without adequate protection or reliable channels to seek redress.

One of these incidents involved eight-year-old Abu Sufian (not his real name). After attending a Qawmi madrasa in Gazipur as a day-shift student for two years, he was enrolled in its residential section on October 7 after his parents were persuaded by a teacher.

Four days later, he returned home lethargic and feverish, struggling to swallow. His hands, throat, tongue and buttocks bore bruises.

Sufian told his mother that the teacher gave him a mobile phone to watch cartoons at night before sexually assaulting him for three consecutive nights. The teacher allegedly covered the CCTV camera at the dormitory with clothes.

The boy also told his mother that the teacher had threatened to kill him if he disclosed the abuse to anyone.

When his parents confronted the madrasa founder, known as “Boro Hujur”, they found out that at least four other boys had allegedly been assaulted over several months. The Hujur told them that the CCTV cameras were switched off at night and requested them to remain silent to protect the institution’s reputation.

Following pressure from the victims’ families, police arrested “Boro Hujur” and the accused teacher.

Opening of the article, excerpted from The Daily Star. To read the rest, open the article on the publisher's site.