Dhaka court grants three-day remand for teacher in 13-year-old student death case
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A Dhaka court on Thursday granted a three-day remand for Hafez Mohammad Zakaria, a 35-year-old teacher, following the death of a 13-year-old student at a madrasa in the capital’s Jorakhamba area. The victim’s body was discovered in a third-floor restroom on August 3.
Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Mahbub Alam issued the remand order after hearing arguments from both sides. A second teacher, who was also taken into custody, was referred to a juvenile court after his lawyer presented evidence suggesting he is a minor, despite the case documents initially listing his age as 20.
The victim’s mother filed a murder case at Kadamtali Police Station on the night of the incident, accusing the school authorities of abuse. According to the case statement, the victim and his younger brother were students at the madrasa. The mother claimed that the child had reported frequent physical abuse by the teachers. When the mother attempted to withdraw her son from the institution, authorities allegedly refused to provide the necessary transfer documents. The complaint further alleges that the teachers murdered the boy by strangulation after he expressed a firm desire to stop attending classes.
During the hearing, the plaintiff’s lawyer, Harunur Rashid Khan, argued that the child was brutally tortured and killed, dismissing the defense’s claim of suicide as an unacceptable fabrication. The lawyer suggested the victim may have been killed to silence him regarding illicit activities at the institution.
In his defense, Zakaria denied the allegations, claiming the student was merely made to stand as punishment for not completing his studies. He testified that the boy went to the restroom before noon prayers and was later found hanged. When questioned by the judge regarding the availability of surveillance footage, Zakaria claimed the madrasa’s hard drive had been broken for some time and no footage existed.
The judge also questioned the victim’s younger brother, who testified that the students were frequently subjected to physical abuse, noting that the victim had been singled out for particularly harsh treatment.
Following the proceedings, the victim’s grieving family members staged a protest on the court premises, demanding the death penalty for the accused. Police had to intervene when family members attempted to confront the suspects as they were being escorted back to the holding cell. The investigation is ongoing under the supervision of the Kadamtali Police Station.
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