A Gazipur court on Sunday sent Moslem Ahmed, the vice-principal of Qari-ul-Quran International Madrasah at Tongi in Gazipur, to jail in a case filed over the alleged sexual harassment of a Class-I girl.

Gazipur Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Omar Haider passed the order when police produced him before the court.

The court also turned down his bail petition.

The girl’s father filed the case under the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act, accusing the teacher of sexually abusing his daughter.

According to the family, the alleged incident took place on the staircase on the ground floor of the madrasah on October 19. The girl reportedly did not want to attend the madrasah after the incident and later disclosed what happened to her parents when they asked her about it.

On October 21, the girl’s relatives went to the madrasah and confronted the accused teacher, demanding an explanation. As the matter became known, local people gathered at the institution and physically assaulted the teacher, which went viral on Facebook.

On receiving information, police rushed to the spot and brought the teacher to the police station.

After the video of the slap spread on social media, many people expressed support for the father on Facebook and demanded justice for the teacher’s alleged actions. Others criticised the student's father, Shahjalal Rumi, for 'taking the law into his own hands'.

Meanwhile, Rumi held a press briefing on Friday night, seeking security for himself and his family.

He also demanded justice for what happened to his daughter and an impartial investigation into the allegations against him, adding that his anger was directed at what had happened, not at madrasas or any religion.

Madrasa authorities have said the allegations against the accused teacher are entirely false and that the incident is part of a conspiracy against the madrasa.

They said Muslem had stated that he would give each child who got good results a peck on the cheek, rejecting any sexual connotation to the proposition.

The child in question continued to attend classes, madrasa authorities added.