UP chairman in Khulna accused of beating up madrasa principal

SM Baharul Islam, chairman of Sadar union parishad (UP) under Koyra upazila in Khulna, has been accused of beating up the acting principal of a madrasa.

Masudur Rahman, acting principal of Koyra Uttarchak Aminiya Bohumukhi Kamil Madrasa, has lodged a complaint with Khulna deputy commissioner.

At the same time, he lodged a first information report with the Koyra police station on Tuesday evening (July 19, 2022), but he alleged that police were trying to settle the matter without registering it as a case.

The teacher is currently undergoing treatment at Masudur Khulna Medical College Hospital, our Khulna correspondent reports.

According to him, he was working at the madrasa last Monday (July 18, 2022). At that time, 15/20 people led by Sadar Union Parishad Chairman SM Baharul Islam grabbed him and brought him out of the room.

He said, "Baharul started using abusing words in the presence of former principal Mustafa Abdul Malek. At one stage, they started to beat me up. I was then locked in a room of the UP office. They beat me there too."

"My eyes and ears were injured due to the beating. I lost consciousness," he alleged.

"When I regained consciousness, the chairman asked me to resign from the madrasa. I was later rescued by Sub-inspector Monirul Islam of Koyra Police Station," he added.

"First, I was admitted to the local upazila health complex. Later, when my health condition deteriorated, family members brought me to Khulna Medical College Hospital," he also said.

The principal said the madrasa belongs to the Islamic Arabic University in Dhaka. Three months ago, three names were sought from the university to appoint as president of the institution. Then chairman Baharul forced him to recommend his (Baharul) name.

"I was compelled to propose the names of three people, including Baharul. However, the university again asked for names for the new committee, rejecting his (Baharul) name."

He said, "Later, I proposed the names of three people, including Chairman of Maharajpur Abdullah-al-Mahmud, for formation of the committee. Then, the chairman of Maharajpur was declared the president by the university."

The principal said, "Since then, Baharul has been threatening me."

"He (Baharul) asked me to resign from the job. If I don't, I won't be able to return to the area," he said, adding that even though he reported the matter to the police station, they asked to settle the matter without recording the case.

When asked, Khulna Deputy Commissioner Moniruzzaman Talukdar said, "The principal had submitted a complaint to me. But I found it's a criminal offense. So, I asked to file a case. When the case was not taken at the police station, he was asked to contact the superintendent of police."

When asked about this, Officer-in-charge (OC) of Koyra police station, ABMS Doha, said, "I was on leave then. I don't know anything about the incident. The principal did not submit any complaint with the police station."

The matter was reported to Khulna Superintendent of Police Md Mahbub Hasan and he said, "After coming to know about the incident, Koyra police station has been asked to record the case."

When contacted, Sadar UP Chairman Baharul said, "Mostafa Abdul Malek was the founding principal of this madrasa. He wanted to become the president of the madrasa after he retired. He wanted to make me president when he could not be the president."

"Most of the teachers at the madrasa don't attend classes properly, they roam here and there. They thought that if I become the president, then there would be a problem, because I would tighten the rules. The chairman of Maharajpur has some problems with me. The teachers made him (Maharajpur chairman) the president of my union's madrasa. There's dispute over this," he said.

He added, "The principal was pushed by his own people. Later they brought the principal to my office. Then I informed his wife. He (the acting principal) gave me a letter. Then we took him away. We will resolve it locally."

"After that, I have heard a lot of complaints. I'm not involved in any incident of beating," Baharul added.