Bangladesh headteacher arrested over child rapes

A religious school’s headteacher has been arrested for allegedly raping two girls and sexually molesting another six children under his care, Bangladeshi officials said yesterday. Abul Khair Belali, 33, is the second principal of a madrassa -- a religious school -- to be arrested this week for allegedly raping students.

Belali, also an iman at a nearby mosque, was arrested Friday at the Kendua girls’ madrassa after an 11-year-old student told her parents she had been raped by him, police chief Mohammad Rasheduzzaman said. The school is also used as a dormitory by around 15 girls from the surrounding villages.

“On Saturday, he admitted that he raped at least two girl children aged eight and 11 and sexually molested another six girl children,” Rasheduzzman said. It comes after police last week arrested another madrassa head over alleged child rape in Fatulla, and two high school teachers in the central industrial town of Narayanganj for allegedly raping 20 students.