Teacher or torturer?

Nine-year-old Rakib (not his real name), a student at Darul Quran Hafijiya Madrasa in the capital's Mirpur, was unable to attend class for a day due to a sudden fever.

Little did he know that this single day of absence would turn into a nightmare, as he would fall victim to physical abuse at the hands of his madrasa teacher Saddam Hossain on March 20.

Rakib's ordeal began when he was forced to kneel down and take a beating from his teacher, who hit him repeatedly with a cane. Two of the strikes directly hit his testicles.

This brutal assault resulted in Rakib suffering from kidney complications, leading to his admission at the National Institute of Kidney Diseases & Urology (NIKDU) for the past 15 days.

Dr Noor Dida, a medical officer at NIKDU, expressed concern over Rakib's condition.

She said, "Rakib had previously been dealing with a kidney infection. However, the injury to his testicles might exacerbate his illness."

"We are providing comprehensive treatment to Rakib and are hopeful that he will recover gradually," Dr Noor told The Daily Star.

Rakib was released on Tuesday. But he was advised to be admitted to the hospital again after Eid.

Recalling the harrowing experience, Rakib said, "When I returned to madrasa the following day, the teacher punished me without listening to any explanation. He struck me repeatedly with a cane, causing excruciating pain."

Following that, Rakib experienced intense pain and difficulty when urinating, with traces of blood appearing in his urine the following day.

The victim's father, Raees Uddin (not his real name) a CNG-run auto-rickshaw driver, told The Daily Star, "I am the only breadwinner of my five-member family. The sudden sickness of my son has become a burden due to the medical expenses"

"Already, I have spent over Tk 20,000 for admission and other medical bills in the last two weeks across three hospitals. Still, the treatment cost continues to rise," he added.

He also said he would not file any case, however, there is no scope for the madrasa authority to avoid responsibility.

Aminul Islam, secretary of the madrasa, said, "Saddam was working here for the last year. We issued a show-cause notice asking why he beat Rakib."

"But Saddam fled as locals protested his activities. His cell phone was also found switched off," he added.

Asked about compensation, Aminul said the teacher paid Tk 9,000 before going into hiding.

"We also provided some money on the institution's behalf and may provide more if needed," he shared.