Qawmi madrasas ban corporal punishment. Can the rules reach every classroom?

Around 100 students, ranging from Nurani to Kafiyah, roughly equivalent to pre-primary through Class 10, are studying this year at Emdadul Ulum Islamia Madrasah in Shamlashi, Savar.

The 28-year-old Qawmi madrasah is yet to officially receive the latest directives issued by Al-Haiatul Ulya Lil-Jamiatil Qawmia, the highest regulatory authority overseeing the Qawmi madrasah boards in Bangladesh, banning corporal punishment and requiring madrasahs under its jurisdiction to activate student protection committees.

But Enamul Hasan, the madrasah’s Muhtamim, or head, has already seen the directive online.

“The directive may seem new, but we have had this mechanism for years,” he told Daily Waadaa, indicating that the madrasah already had a similar policy in place.

Bangladesh has more than 50,000 Qawmi madrasahs, both registered and unregistered, operating under different boards, with more than 1.5 million students. Six boards are regulated by Al-Haiatul Ulya.

On September 20, the regulatory authority issued the directives following decisions taken at a September 12 meeting of its Standing Committee, amid recent reports and allegations in the media and on social media concerning student abuse in Qawmi madrasahs and unethical conduct by some teachers.

According to a press release issued by Al-Haiatul Ulya, students must not be beaten under any circumstances. Hitting them with sticks, canes or other instruments has been strictly prohibited.

The directives also prohibit striking students on the face, head or sensitive parts of the body, as well as punishment that causes broken bones, bleeding or visible marks. Public humiliation, verbal abuse, harsh or offensive language, derogatory forms of address and other forms of psychological abuse have also been prohibited.

Every madrasah has been instructed to form or reorganise a student “Protection Committee” and keep it active. The six Qawmi boards have also been instructed to establish separate “Madrasa Monitoring Cells” and hotlines for complaints.

A Qawmi madrasah alumnus, speaking on condition of anonymity, welcomed the move.

“They’ve started to acknowledge the issues,” he said.

UNICEF, the United Nations’ children’s agency, also described the directives as significant from a child-rights perspective, saying educational institutions have a responsibility not only to educate children but also to protect them from violence and harm.

“A clear commitment to prohibit corporal punishment and other forms of abuse reinforces that violence has no place in children's education,” UNICEF said in response to questions from Waadaa.

The agency said effective implementation could help create safer and more supportive environments for children studying in Qawmi madrasahs while strengthening trust between students and educators.

The hardest part: reaching the unregulated

Given the size and diversity of the Qawmi network, UNICEF identified implementation at the grassroots level as a major challenge.

It said teachers and administrators would need to clearly understand the new directives and receive training on child safeguarding. Oversight, monitoring, and accessible reporting and response mechanisms would also need to be strengthened.

“Rural and remote areas may face additional challenges related to limited resources, access to training, supervision, and referral services,” UNICEF said.

The Qawmi alumnus also pointed out that Al-Haiatul Ulya’s jurisdiction does not necessarily cover every institution associated with Qawmi education.

He specifically mentioned small-scale institutions such as Hefzkhana and Maktab madrasahs, saying some are technically outside the authority’s jurisdiction and that many incidents allegedly occur in such settings because their pupils are often minors.

“Older students barely face such an issue as they can protest immediately,” he said.

At Jameya Islamia Darul Ulum on Dilu Road in the capital, around 1,400 students study from Nurani to Dawra-e-Hadith.

Authorities at the 22-year-old madrasah said they had never encountered an incident of abuse or sexual harassment.

Delwar Hossain, vice principal of the institution, said larger Qawmi institutions are embarrassed by reports of abuse, although he believes “the number is not much”.

“We will be happy if Haia takes much stronger measures,” he said.

Delwar said such incidents usually occur in small institutions run by perhaps a couple of teachers on a rented floor.

He said these institutions are difficult to trace because they have little or no accountability.

“Once such an incident happens, they simply flee with bags and baggage,” he said.

Complaint mechanism

The Al-Haiatul Ulya directives require every madrasah to form or reorganise a student “Protection Committee” and require the six Qawmi boards to establish separate “Madrasa Monitoring Cells” and hotlines.

UNICEF recommended sustained awareness-raising, capacity-building, community engagement and regular monitoring to ensure that the directives translate into changes in children’s daily learning environments.

Effective child safeguarding, the agency said, requires trust, accountability and child-centred approaches.

“Reporting and investigation mechanisms should be accessible, confidential, and safe for children, with the best interests of the child at the centre,” it said.

“This includes clear reporting channels, trained committee members, proper documentation, timely action, and protection from retaliation.”

The agency also stressed the importance of independent review and engagement with parents and communities.

Can the government stay out of it?

Qawmi madrasahs in Bangladesh operate largely independently and are not directly monitored, supervised or managed by the government in their day-to-day administration, syllabus or curriculum.

They rely largely on private donations, public contributions and local support rather than government financial assistance or Monthly Pay Order (MPO) facilities.

But experts say the government cannot use that independence to absolve itself of responsibility for the safety and security of children studying in the country.

K M Kabirul Islam, former senior secretary of the Technical and Madrasah Education Division (TMED), said the government should proactively engage with Qawmi regulatory authorities on student welfare, while the authorities should also cooperate with the government.

“The Qawmi students also are the children of this country,” he told Waadaa.

The Qawmi alumnus said the issue also has a “political dimension”, as Bangladesh has multiple streams of religious education, including Deobandi, Salafi and Charmonai traditions.

“It’s beyond Haia’s authority to bring them all under common directives, unless the government gets involved,” he said.

UNICEF said government counterparts, development partners, communities and education stakeholders must work together to promote safe, inclusive and supportive learning environments.

“Every child has the right to learn in a safe, supportive, and violence-free environment,” it said.

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