Police ‘find evidence’ of sexual harassment by Viqarunnisa Noon School teacher Murad

They have quizzed him in custody and seized his laptop and mobile phone

Police say they have found evidence of sexual harassment after quizzing in custody Murad Hossain Sarker, a suspended teacher at the Viqarunnisa Noon School and College.

K Mahid Uddin, an additional commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police, revealed the findings of the investigation at a press conference after the end of a two-day remand of Murad on Thursday.

He said police seized Murad’s laptop and mobile phone for forensic tests.

Asked what they found in interrogation, Mahid Uddin said the daughter of the plaintiff is a student of Class 8 and the incidents occurred when she was in Class 7.

Murad used to crack dirty jokes while giving lessons to the girl and other students at his private coaching centre, according to the police officer.

The girl was a dancer at the school and Murad often told her that he sees her video before going to sleep, Mahid Uddin said.

“Police have found initial evidence that the girl was sexually harassed in November last year,” he said.

He added she did not speak up because she was afraid this would bring disrespect to her family and the school would expel her.

Mahid Uddin also said criminal charges do not have time limits. “And this case does not need medical tests. Investigations into such allegations are based on the circumstances and some other factors. Police are trying to do that.”

The senior mathematics teacher has been working in the school since 2010. He is accused of sexually harassing some of the students at his private coaching centre in Azimpur after developing good relations with them.

After the media reported an investigation by the renowned institution, the matter sparked huge outrage from students and parents.

Amid their anger, the school withdrew Murad and attached him to the principal’s office, saying initial investigation suggested the allegations were true.

But students of the institution demonstrated against Murad outside their Azimpur branch. Their parents threatened to take legal action themselves and launch more protests if the authorities refused to act firmly against Murad.

Hours after the school suspended him, pending an investigation by the Divisional Commissioner’s Office, police arrested him at his home in Kalabagan in a case started by the mother of a student.