THE High Court on Sunday asked the authorities concerned to take care of a student, who was beaten up mercilessly by his teacher for crying to go home with his mother from Markazul Islami Academy Hafezia Madrasa in Chattogram Hathazari, so that his pursuit of learning is not hampered in any way. The court also directed all educational institutions in the country, including madrasas, to abide by the Constitution and the prevailing laws. A High Court Bench passed the order after reviewing the reports submitted by the local administration on a child abuse case in Hathazari. The local police has arrested the accused teacher and sent him to jail. Our society has become cruel and the people everyday sees incidents of state level violence and lawlessness
Over the Chattogram incident, the victim’s family is reluctant to complain but the police are curious and have lodged a case. What is also true is that the students of madrasas and the residents of orphanages are ordinarily subject to abuses.
The court said incidents of physical, mental and even sexual torture are taking place in madrasas across the country. What the court did not mention is that torture become a dominant factor in public life. Deaths through torture have become very ordinary and the judiciary does not react strongly enough. Such killings amount defiance of the judiciary. Police custody is obtained through the court’s order and the police must be held judicially responsible to the court. If the courts do not see it that way, only the police take the blame from helpless people.
We are becoming a sick nation through cowardice. The public university authorities are mostly corrupt and tolerate torture centres run by students.
