Amid widespread discussion over an incident in Tongi involving allegations that a madrasa teacher kissed a young girl and was subsequently slapped by her father, Rashed Khan, political assistant to Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, has weighed in on the issue. He said kissing children is not appropriate conduct for a teacher or a political leader.

He made the remarks in a Facebook post on Saturday (October 24).

Rashed Khan said an incident at a madrasa in Tongi, where a teacher was accused of kissing a seven-year-old girl and was later slapped by the child’s father, had triggered widespread discussion across the country. Following the incident, many parents have expressed concerns about their children’s safety, he added.

He further said some people were using the incident to campaign against the madrasa education system. However, he argued that the entire system should not be questioned because of the alleged wrongdoing of an individual.

He expressed hope that madrasa teachers across the country would take steps to address such incidents, speak out against them and take appropriate measures to restore public confidence.

“Our children are a sacred trust for all parents. It is entirely natural for parents to become angry when someone casts an ill-intentioned eye on their children,” Rashed Khan wrote.

He also referred to the public kissing gestures of the leader of a political party. According to him, the leader may express affection or love through such gestures, but others could imitate the behaviour, while unscrupulous individuals might use similar actions as an opportunity to approach children with improper intentions.

Rashed Khan said the consequences of such behaviour could be seen in the incident in Tongi.

He clarified that he was not suggesting the political leader kissed others with negative intentions. However, he argued that, given the current social context, such gestures could make children or other individuals uncomfortable.

He expressed hope that the leader in question would reconsider and modify his behaviour following the incident in Tongi.