Police have received permission to quiz Murad Hossain Sarker, a senior mathematics teacher of Viqarunnisa Noon School and College in Dhaka, in custody for two days in a case over sexually harassing a student.

Metropolitan Magistrate Jaki Al Farabi granted the remand of Murad when Lalbagh Police Station Sub-Inspector Faiaz Hossain produced him in the court and sought a seven-day remand on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, the renowned institution has barred its teachers from privately coaching students for now amid protests over the alleged incidents of sexual harassment at Murad’s private coaching centre.

Acting Principal Keka Roy Chowdhury said on Tuesday that they sent a notice on the temporary ban on private coaching.

“If someone violates the notice, they will have to explain their action and face punishment.”

In the hearing, the state argued that Murad brought disrespect to the entire profession because he ‘sexually harassed’ students when he was supposed to protect them from harm in absence of their parents.

Defence lawyers pleaded for Murad’s bail, alleging the award-winning teacher was a victim of dirty office politics among his colleagues.

One of the defence lawyers, Shafiqul Islam Dipu, said the plaintiff and mother of the alleged victim was at the school’s gate on the day of the incident.

He also said the school’s investigation did not find truth in this allegation.

Murad appeared dejected at the stand.

The senior mathematics teacher has been working in the school since 2010. He is accused of sexually harassing some of the students at his private coaching centre in Azimpur after developing good relations with them.

After the media reported an investigation by the renowned institution, the matter sparked huge outrage from students and parents.

Amid their anger, the school withdrew Murad and attached him to the principal’s office on Saturday, saying initial investigation suggested the allegations were true.

But students of the institution demonstrated against Murad for around three hours outside their Azimpur branch on Monday.

Their parents threatened to take legal action themselves and launch more protests if the authorities refused to act firmly against Murad.

Hours after the school suspended him, pending an investigation by the Divisional COmmissioner’s Office, police arrested him at his home in Kalabagan on Monday night in a case started by the mother of a student.