Maria's Death: Who Was Behind It?

Many people know the name Maria Mahi of Manikganj through Facebook and news reports. The 14-year-old girl was an eighth-grade student at Sahrail High School in Singair. School authorities expelled both Maria and a male classmate after accusing them of being found in a ‘compromising situation’ inside a classroom. Maria never returned home from school that day. Six days after she ‘went missing’, authorities recovered her mutilated and hanging body from a secluded thicket nearly two kilometers from the school.

Following a case filed by her family, police arrested the school’s headmaster, a laboratory assistant, Maria’s male friend, and several others. Allegations in the First Information Report (FIR) and on social media claim that Maria’s boyfriend and his relatives were involved in her murder. However, more than two and a half weeks later, uncertainty continues to surround the case. Police have remained tight-lipped about the investigation, raising questions about how Maria died. If she was murdered, how many people were involved in killing her so far from the school and then hanging her body from a tree? Another unanswered question concerns the lower part of her hanging body, which was found mutilated and scattered beneath it.

Agamir Somoy conducted an extensive investigation to find answers to these questions. The investigation also examined how much responsibility local residents and school authorities bear for the tragic fate of a teenage girl. It found that the actual events remain shrouded in mystery. Police have also failed to provide clear answers about the progress of the investigation.

The Beginning of a Tragic Chain of Events

Several teachers at Sahrail High School and officers from Singair Police Station said the incident began on June 10. Officer-in-Charge Mazharul Islam said several primary school students allegedly saw Maria and a tenth-grade boy in a ‘compromising situation’ inside a room at the school that day. They informed some high school students about what they had seen. Rumors then spread throughout the school for five days. On June 15, several high school students reported the matter to Headmaster Sirajul Islam.

The headmaster instructed Mohammad Yakub Molla, a part-time laboratory assistant, to review CCTV footage from the room in question. The footage allegedly showed evidence of ‘intimate moments’ between Maria and her friend. School authorities then called other teachers to make a final decision on disciplinary action against the two students. A distraught Maria went to the headmaster’s office and pleaded for forgiveness. Sirajul Islam, however, stood by his decision. School authorities summoned the guardians of both students and handed them transfer certificates (TCs).

Abdul Kader, an assistant teacher at Sahrail High School, said teachers learned the details of the incident after they went to the headmaster’s office that day. In their presence, Headmaster Sirajul Islam called Khairunnahar, head of the school management committee and Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO).

“After speaking with the UNO, the headmaster told us that he had been instructed to issue TCs to them. During the lunch break, Maria came to the headmaster and repeatedly requested for forgiveness. She said, ‘Sir, I made a mistake. Please forgive me.’ The headmaster told her that if he forgave her, other students would take advantage of it,” teacher Abdul Kader said.

Kader and several of his colleagues also described what happened afterward. According to them, Maria left the headmaster’s office and returned to her classroom in a distressed state. A short while later, she left again. CCTV footage reportedly showed her walking downstairs, passing through the school gate, and leaving the campus. After that incident, which occurred around 2 pm, Maria ‘went missing’.

Meanwhile, at the end of the school day, the guardians of both Maria and her male friend arrived at the school. Headmaster Sirajul Islam spoke with them in his office in the presence of Kader and several other teachers.

“Maria’s mother came. The boy’s mother also came on behalf of his family. The boy was in the room as well, but Maria was not. Both of their fathers work abroad. The school issued TCs to Maria and the boy after obtaining signatures from their mothers on stamp papers,” assistant teacher Kader said.

Why did the school need signature on stamp papers before issuing the TCs? Kader replied, “We discussed it and decided to obtain signatures on a written undertaking so that the guardians could not later refuse to accept the TCs.”

Asked about the CCTV footage, Kader said, “I did not see it myself, and I did not hear that anyone else saw it either. Only the headmaster and the laboratory assistant viewed it.”

Khairunnahar, the president of the school management committee and the Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO), however, denied ordering the issuance of TCs. She said, “After hearing about the matter from the headmaster, I asked him to send me the CCTV footage. For some reason, he could not send it. Later, I told him that this was not such a serious issue and that he should call the guardians, obtain written undertakings, and let the children continue. I even told him what the undertaking should say, that they would not repeat such behavior and that they would receive TCs if it happened again in the future.”

The UNO added, “I only learned on the 18th that Headmaster Sirajul had issued the TCs. I immediately called him and asked why he had done so. He said he had issued them under pressure from students and local residents. I served him with a show-cause notice that same day because he issued the TCs without my approval. In his written response, he said he had made the decision after discussing the matter with other teachers.

From Missing to Dead

Maria’s mother, Kamrunnahar, claims she first learned on June 15 that her daughter had allegedly been found in a ‘compromising situation’ with the accused boy. She told Agamir Somoy, “The school called that day and said the headmaster wanted to see us. I first sent my son, Mahim Dewan. They sent him back and said they needed me to come in person. Then I went.”

She arrived at the headmaster’s office at the end of the school day.

“The boy’s mother was there, and the boy was there too. When I asked where Maria was, the teachers said she was downstairs. Then the headmaster scolded me and said my daughter had done something serious enough to be reported to the police. But he never explained what she had done. When I asked him to call my daughter, he said he had no obligation to do so,” Kamrunnahar said.

“Then they forced me and the boy’s mother to provide money to buy stamp papers. They took our signatures and handed us the transfer certificates.”

After leaving the office, Kamrunnahar began searching for her daughter.

“At that time, the boy was hurrying toward the school gate. His mother called out and asked why he was in such a rush. He replied that Maria was standing at the school gate and that he wanted to speak with her. I followed him out. But I did not find Maria at the gate. Then we searched the surrounding area together, including the boy. My son also joined us.”

“People at the market told us they had seen her heading toward Gopalnagar village. We went there and described her to several women. They said they had seen her, but they did not know where she had gone.”

According to Kamrunnahar, she spent hours searching for Maria in that village and nearby areas. During that time, Maria’s ‘boyfriend’ remained with her, while his mother left from the school. When they failed to find Maria, Kamrunnahar took the boy to her home and questioned him about her daughter’s whereabouts. Later that night, members of his family came and took him away.

Five Individuals Enter the Picture

The day after Maria disappeared, her family filed a complaint with the police. Officers accompanied Kamrunnahar and her son Mahim to the home of Maria’s ‘boyfriend’. There they met Sheikh Russell, president of the Chhatra Dal unit in Sayesta Union.

Kamrunnahar said, “Russell repeatedly told me that Russell, the boy, and his mother would find my daughter and that I should not worry. They also told the police they would locate Maria within 24 hours. The next day, police summoned them to the station again. Russell and the boy’s mother continued saying they were searching for her. During that time, the boy kept trying to call me over as if he wanted to tell me something, but Russell kept scolding him and pulling him away.”

Kamrunnahar said that two days after Maria disappeared, four local young men, Sujon, Masud, Alif, and Yamim, came to her house at night.

“Sujon brought the other three and said they knew where Maria was. They told me they would bring her back if I paid them Tk 20,000. They said she was ill and needed medical treatment. I asked them what my daughter looked like. Their description matched Maria. I gave them Tk 5,000. They also left me a mobile phone number and told me to go to Sahrail Bazar.”

“I later called that number. The person on the other end told me not to come then because it was already night. They said the woman at the house where Maria was staying had said she was asleep and that I should come in the morning. I spent the entire night sitting in a shop at the market. I told Sujon that they had taken the money but had not given me any information. Sujon told me not to worry because he knew them and they would bring her back. I wanted to inform the police, but Sujon repeatedly stopped me. He said Maria could be harmed if the police became involved,” Maria’s mother recalled.

Around 6 am, Kamrunnahar saw Masud, Alif, and Yamim riding motorcycles through the market area. She ran over and stopped them to ask about her daughter.

“They said, ‘We’re going to bring her back now,’ and quickly left,” Maria’s mother said.

She never saw them again.

After searching for six days, police recovered Maria’s mutilated body from a thicket beside a cemetery in the Chandannagar area of Jamirta Union on June 21. Her body hung from a tree branch with a scarf wrapped around her neck. The lower half of her body had been severed and was scattered around the area. Her mother and brother identified the decomposed body as Maria’s from her school bag, scarf, and burqa. The following day, Kamrunnahar filed a murder case at Singair Police Station against 15 individuals.

Police arrested Maria’s ‘boyfriend’, his mother Ruma, his elder sister Mim, school headmaster Sirajul Islam, and laboratory assistant Yakub Ali on the day the body was recovered and the following day. Police also arrested Md. Sujon, Md. Masud, and local Chhatra Dal leader Russell. The remaining accused are absconding.

Following news of his arrest, the Manikganj unit of Chhatra Dal expelled Russell from the organization. District President Abdul Khaleq Shuvo told Agamir Somoy, “The organization will not take responsibility for an individual’s actions. A murder case has been filed against him, so the party has taken organizational action. However, we have learned that Russell has no direct involvement. Someone he knows may have been involved.”

Maria’s mother claims that Russell was acquainted with Sujon and Masud and that they were frequently seen together during party activities.

What the Boy’s Family Says

Police arrested Maria’s friend, his mother, and his sister immediately after recovering Maria’s body. Because the boy is a minor, the court sent him to the juvenile correctional facility in Gazipur. His mother, Ruma, and sister, Mim, are being held at Manikganj District Jail. After allegations surfaced that Maria’s friend was involved in her murder, local residents attacked his family’s home. A visit to the house found no other family members or relatives there.

However, this correspondent spoke by phone with the boy’s father, Barkat Ullah, who works abroad.

“I knew nothing about my son’s relationship. On June 15, my wife called and told me that Maria’s brother had taken my son from the school to their house. They did not let him go until around 10 or 11 at night. Later, my relatives went to Maria’s house and, after much persuasion, brought my son back,” he said.

“From that day onward, my son stayed at home. Police came repeatedly and summoned both him and my wife to the police station. They questioned them extensively and then released them because they found nothing. On June 21, Maria’s family took my son with them to see the body. Later, people there severely beat him. Out of fear, my son said, ‘I don’t know anything. Talk to my mother,’” he added.

A video of the boy being assaulted has circulated on Facebook. In the footage, he can be heard saying, “My mother knows.”

The Crime Scene, the FIR, and the Police Version

Sahrail High School is located in Sahrail Bazar of Sayesta Union in Singair. Maria’s friend lives in Kanainagar village to the east of the school, while Maria’s home is in Lakshmipur village to the northwest.

According to Kamrunnahar, some people saw Maria heading toward Gopalnagar village after she left the school on June 15. A review of the FIR shows that accused individuals Sujon, Adnan, school laboratory assistant Yakub, and Ashraful all live in that village. The complainant said Adnan and Ashraful are associates of Sujon.

The accused teenager’s father claims that school authorities were the first to inform them about his son’s relationship with Maria. However, the case filed by Maria’s mother alleges that the boy had been harassing Maria for a long time and repeatedly proposing a romantic relationship. The complaint further alleges that when Maria’s family informed the boy’s family about the matter, they ignored it and instead threatened to harm her.

Maria’s brother, Mahim Dewan, said his family was unaware of any romantic relationship between his sister and the accused teenager. Rather, he said they learned from several students at the school that “the boy had apparently made such proposals to Maria.” That is why the allegation was included in the FIR.

Mahim said, “Russell, one of the accused in the case, is a distant relative of that boy. We believe the boy may not have been directly involved in the murder. By now, the police have surely learned everything. But they are not telling us anything. Their behavior makes us suspect that the roots of this incident may run much deeper.”

Although the FIR mentions that Maria’s body was found hanging, it rejects the possibility of suicide. It states that the lower part of the body had been severed. It also notes that two severed legs were found about 15 feet away from the tree, a cluster fig tree, where the body was hanging. The complainant alleges that the accused individuals acted in collusion, murdered Maria, and then hung the dismembered body from the tree.

However, no clear explanation has yet emerged for why the accused teenager reportedly remained with Maria’s family for a lengthy period after the school issued the transfer certificates. Neither Maria’s family nor the police have publicly addressed the matter.

From the officer-in-charge of the police station to the district’s top police officials, authorities have declined to discuss the progress of the investigation. Their brief response has been that they are waiting for the autopsy report. They have also remained silent on whether the interrogation of those arrested has yielded any significant information.

District Police Superintendent Mohammad Sarwar Alam said, “We arrested many people because allegations were brought against them. The investigation into the actual events is still ongoing. Others may also have been involved beyond those already arrested. For the sake of apprehending them, we are not disclosing any information at this time. We have instructed the investigating officer to obtain the autopsy report as quickly as possible.”

Several sources connected to the investigation shared the police’s preliminary assessment with Agamir Somoy. According to those sources, investigators suspect that a dispute related to the school may have played a role in Maria’s death.

The death of teenage girl Maria continues to raise more questions than answers. At the same time, Sahrail High School, located on the outskirts of the capital, remains at the center of a growing debate over whether the school authorities’ actions set in motion the chain of events that ultimately ended a young girl’s life.