Qawmi Madrasa Authority Orders Monitoring Cells, Hotlines and Student Protection Committee to Prevent Student Abuse

Some teachers at various educational institutions have recently faced allegations of moral misconduct. In response, Hefazat e Islam Bangladesh Ameer Allama Muhibbullah Babunagari and Secretary General Allama Sajedur Rahman gave a statement to the media yesterday. They said immoral behavior or child abuse in any institution is not acceptable, and neither is taking the law into one’s own hands. In every case, the administration must ensure a fair investigation and exemplary justice. This is important to keep law and order in the country.

The leaders also said child sexual abuse is an old internal social problem. It is not limited to one community. The problem exists, more or less, in schools, madrasas and other places too. To stop all kinds of student abuse in its own institutions, Al Haiatul Ulya Lil Jamiatil Qawmia Bangladesh issued a new directive last month. It is meant for the six Qawmi madrasa boards and the institutions under them.

The directive orders every madrasa to form or reactivate a Student Protection Committee. It says any complaint of student abuse or immoral behavior must be investigated within seven days at most, and a report must be submitted. The madrasa boards have also been told to set up strong monitoring cells and start hotlines for complaints. The directive warns that a madrasa may lose its affiliation, either through suspension or cancellation, if it has no committee, if the committee is inactive, or if it fails to act on a complaint.

The Hefazat leaders said the safety and peace of mind of children must always come first. They said school and madrasa authorities must adopt strict policies and ensure round the clock CCTV monitoring. They called on all schools and madrasas to follow the directive of the highest authority. Otherwise, anyone found guilty of moral misconduct will face both institutional and legal punishment, with no leniency or compromise. They added that today’s children are the future, and there will be no relaxation in the duty to give them good education and a safe upbringing.