Sabbir Hossain, Jhikargachha (Jashore)  

Allegations of sexual abuse have been raised against the director of a residential girls’ Hifz madrasa, who also serves as a local mosque khatib, in Jhikargachha Upazila of Jashore. The accused, Maulana Md. Abdur Rahman, has denied the allegations, describing them as false and motivated.

According to the allegations, two 11-year-old twin girls, who were residing at the residential branch of Rawjatul Jannat Girls’ Hifz Madrasa in Padmapukur village under Jhikargachha Sadar Union, were called separately to the director’s room and inappropriately touched on multiple occasions. The children alleged that they were threatened with physical violence if they disclosed the incidents to anyone.

The victims, whose father is deceased and whose mother remarried, were admitted to the madrasa earlier this year due to vulnerable socio-economic circumstances and a lack of family support.

The children’s mother stated that her daughters repeatedly expressed reluctance to return to the madrasa during visits home, eventually disclosing the alleged abuse. She demanded a fair official investigation and legal justice.

Rejecting the allegations, Maulana Abdur Rahman stated that the claims were baseless and manufactured by a vested quarter to damage the institution's reputation. He added that he had previously filed a written complaint with Jhikargachha Police Station on October 21 against the children’s foster father regarding a separate dispute.

Efforts to obtain an official statement from Jhikargachha Police Station OC  Golam Kibria were unsuccessful as phone calls went unanswered.

The allegations have sparked widespread concern among local residents, who called for an impartial administrative probe, protection for the vulnerable children, and appropriate legal action based on the investigation's findings.