An angry crowd besieged and vandalised the home of Jashore-4 MP and district unit Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Golam Rasul on Tuesday, following claims his daughter had assaulted several madrasa students.
The unrest erupted in Jashore town’s Nilganj Supari Bagan area, eventually forcing the MP onto Facebook Live to issue a public apology for his daughter’s actions claiming her to be psychologically unwell.
According to local residents, the MP’s daughter, Mehezabin Jannat Ananya, attacked several pupils from the neighbouring Al Madrasatul Shariyyah on Monday.
Tensions boiled over the following morning during a confrontation between local children, their parents, and the MP’s family.
During the heated row, a parent, Rokshana Begum, was allegedly struck on the head with a heavy padlock.
Outraged neighbours quickly descended on Golam Rasul’s property in protest.
The demonstration soon turned violent as protesters smashed through the front gate, pelted the house with bricks and stones, and shattered several windows.
Trapped inside, Golam Rasul and his family were barricaded in their own home for nearly four hours.
Protesters also blocked the main Jashore–Narail highway, causing severe gridlock before police arrived to restore order.
Locals claim Mehezabin has a long history of aggressive behaviour. Kabir Hossain, principal of the madrasa, confirmed she had targeted children on multiple occasions.
“She confronted and assaulted the children again on Monday, though we managed to settle it through discussions,” Hossain said. “Then on Tuesday, while the children were playing, the MP and his daughter confronted them once more. She threw a padlock that struck a parent on the head, which triggered the outrage.”
Protester Anjuman Hira told TIMES of Bangladesh that Mehezabin routinely harassed madrasa students and had recently slapped several pupils and confronted a local imam.
Another neighbour, Maryam Begum, added that residents had long been intimidated by the family’s power: “We often saw her engaging in objectionable behaviour in the alley, but because of her influential background, no one dared speak up. Previous complaints were simply brushed aside by community elders.”
Local businessman Ajibur Rahman warned that patience has entirely run out. “Such behaviour from an MP’s daughter is unacceptable, yet the family has done nothing to address it,” he said. “If the authorities fail to act against her, local residents will take much tougher action.”
Jamaat MP apologises, deletes video
Amid the rising unrest, Golam Rasul went live on Facebook to express regret over the “unexpected incident”, urging locals to remain calm and resolve the dispute through dialogue.
Attempting to explain his daughter’s behaviour, the Jamaat leader claimed she was suffering from mental health issues and presented medical documents to show she was under psychiatric care.
However, the live broadcast was later deleted from his profile.
The MP also launched a counter-attack against the madrasa. “The school has 300 students, and the adjacent road is constantly choked with children and parents,” he said. “When I raised the issue, my unwell daughter was assaulted. Our home was then attacked and vandalised.”
Golam Rasul’s wife, Sharmin Dina, similarly pointed the finger at the institution. “Children gather there and cause a disruption even when the madrasa is closed. The row started simply because we protested against it,” she claimed. “They attacked our house and are now making false accusations against us.”
Masum Khan, officer-in-charge of Jashore Kotwali Model Police Station, confirmed that officers have not yet received a formal written complaint from the victims, adding: “Legal action will be taken as soon as an official report is filed.”
