A disturbing video showing an 8-year-old madrasa student being whipped 21 times within 23 seconds has gone viral on social media, sparking widespread outrage. The incident, which occurred at the Alipur Noorani Hafezia Madrasa in Lakshmipur Sadar’s Bhabaniganj Union, was circulated on Facebook on Thursday, May 15. Since the video surfaced, the accused teacher, Md. Masum, has gone into hiding, and his phone has been switched off.
The 35-second video shows the boy holding his ears in a crouching position while the teacher continues to beat him and orders him to repeatedly stand and squat. Despite the boy’s compliance, the beating does not stop. According to madrasa authorities and local sources, the video was reportedly recorded by another student at the direction of teacher Masum himself.
The victim has been identified as Rafi, a second-grade student in the madrasa’s Hifz (Quran memorization) section and the son of Anwar Hossain from Madhya Alipur village.
Local sources and madrasa staff confirm the incident took place on Monday, May 12. Following the video’s circulation, the madrasa authorities dismissed the accused teacher and lodged a complaint with the police. Azmul Huda Mithu, vice-president of the madrasa’s managing committee, stated that they are cooperating with law enforcement to take legal action against Masum, who has not returned to the madrasa since the incident.
Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Lakshmipur Sadar Model Police Station, Md. Abdul Mannaaf, condemned the video, stating, “The flogging shown in the video is inhumane. We are working with the madrasa authorities to arrest the teacher.” The Detective Branch is also reportedly investigating the matter.
The viral video has drawn widespread condemnation both locally and on social media. Lawyers, teachers, human rights activists, and the general public have shared the video, demanding justice and labeling the incident as a severe case of child abuse.
Rafi’s family has declined to speak to the media, and no public statement has been issued. Locals report that the madrasa has remained closed since the video went viral and had not reopened as of Sunday, May 18.
Several teachers, speaking on condition of anonymity, claimed that the punishment was given because the student was inattentive to his studies. They also said the teacher had the video recorded himself. However, how the footage was leaked online remains unclear.
This incident has reignited concerns over child safety and corporal punishment in religious educational institutions in Bangladesh. The gravity of the situation is further amplified by a similar case just two days earlier, on May 13. In that incident, an 8-year-old student named Sanim Hossain, who had memorized 20 parts of the Quran, was allegedly beaten to death by another teacher at Al-Muin Academy in Lakshmipur town. Legal proceedings are underway in that case, and the accused teacher, Mahmudur Rahman, has been arrested.
Local sources allege that there were attempts to resolve Rafi’s case informally, delaying formal legal proceedings. They fear that a culture of impunity could lead to a rise in violence against children.
Additional Superintendent of Police (Sadar Circle), Rezaul Haque, stated, “I haven’t seen the video yet, but we will take appropriate action after reviewing the case.”
Publication Date: 17 May, 2025
Reports published in various newspapers on this issue: prothomalo, dhakapost, jagonews24, bdnews24
এই আর্টিকেলটি বাংলায় পড়তে চাইলে এখানে ক্লিক করুন
