Rangpur, Sept. 3 -- An assistant teacher of a government primary school in Gangachara upazila of Rangpur was suspended Wednesday following allegations of sexually harassing a fifth-grade student, triggering a tense seven-hour confinement of the local education officer and other school staff by outraged guardians and residents.

The confinement, which began at 10:30am and lasted until 5:30pm, ended after police rescued Upazila Education Officer Shaila Jasmin Sayeed, the school's headmaster and several other teachers.

According to locals, the accused teacher behaved inappropriately with the student during class on August 31. After the victim informed her parents, the teacher stayed away from school.

However, when he returned on Wednesday ...