A 13-year-old madrasa student was found dead at a women’s residential madrasa in Pabna, raising questions about whether her death was a suicide or the result of foul play.
The body of Sumaiya, a student of Hazrat Maryam (AS) Women's Residential Madrasa, was recovered on Saturday afternoon from the institution located in the Laskarpur Terminal area of Pabna town.
Sumaiya was a resident of the Patkiabari area of Pabna city and the daughter of Hazrat Ali, a rickshaw puller. Her family said they live in extreme financial hardship.
According to Sumaiya’s father, the madrasa authorities informed him that his daughter had hanged herself. “When I reached the madrasa, I found my daughter lying unconscious on the ground floor,” he said. She was later taken to Pabna General Hospital, where doctors declared her dead.
Sumaiya’s mother, Nazera Khatun, rejected the claim of suicide. She alleged that there were no visible marks of hanging on her daughter’s neck. “There were injury marks on her face and hands, and her body was already cold,” she said.
She further alleged that the madrasa authorities made her sign a document under misleading circumstances and accused them of trying to portray the death as a suicide. The family also claimed that they did not receive immediate and proper cooperation after the incident.
Nazera Khatun also said that after the incident, the madrasa authorities made defamatory statements about her daughter, which she described as attempts to divert attention from the real cause of death.
When reporters visited the madrasa, the main gate was found locked with a large padlock. Attempts to contact the madrasa superintendent, Rustam Ali, were unsuccessful, as his phone was switched off.
Officer-in-Charge Md Dular Hossain of Pabna Sadar Police Station said the body has been sent for autopsy. “Legal steps will be taken after receiving the post-mortem report. An unnatural death case has been filed,” he said.
Police said the cause of death cannot be determined until the autopsy report is received.
Sumaiya had been a student at the madrasa since 2021. Her body was recovered from the same institution on February 21, 2026.
Family members and local residents have demanded a transparent and impartial investigation to uncover the truth and ensure justice.
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