Nahid intervenes in Viqarunnisa crisis

Dhaka, July 13 (bdnews24.com)?Hours after the purported sacking of the principal of the Viqarunnisa Noon School and College on Wednesday, the education minister has said the turmoil in one of the most prestigious schools in Dhaka will be resolved by the day.

Nurul Islam Nahid said "neither I nor my ministry" knew anything about the sudden change at the helm by the school's governing body.

The minister also said at his Secretariat office on Wednesday he had directed the Dhaka education board chairman, the joint secretary of his ministry and relevant people to resolve the issue by Wednesday.

"I hope that things will get back to normal from Thursday at the renowned institution," he added.

Assistant professor Ambia Khatun replaced Hosne Ara Begum as principal. Ambia is the senior-most teacher after Hosne Ara. The sacking is the latest of troubling developments after one of its teachers was accused of violating a student of the female-only institution.

"The ministry was not told about the decision to remove (Hosne Ara). I know nothing about it. But it's clear that there's a chaos," Nahid told reporters.

Acting chairman of the board Dilip Roy said that several members of the body had taken the decision in the morning, but "it can't be considered as an official decision by the committee".

The governing body chief Rashed Khan Menon MP is currently abroad.

Classes in the Baily Road college unit, which had remained suspended since Saturday, resumed at noon.

Students and guardians of the four branches of the school and college have been demanding the expulsion of Hosne Ara for allegedly being reticent about taking action against Bashundhara branch teacher Parimal Jayadhar, charged with violating a 10th-grade student at the branch.

Hosne Ara and acting headmaster of the Bashundhara branch Lutfar Rahman were also accused in the case, filed by the victim's father.

Jayadhar, a Bangla department teacher, has admitted to the crime in a statement given before a Dhaka metropolitan magistrate.

As senior teachers insisted, all academic activities at the Baily Road unit remained suspended after only two classes were held on Wednesday morning.

Classes in the Baily Road college unit have remained suspended since Saturday.

Nahid deplored the incident and expressed his concern. "The arrested teacher should be given exemplary punishment (if found guilty)."

Senior teacher Rokhsana Shamim told bdnews24.com that the 'expelled' principal did not listen to the demands of students, guardians and teachers.

"Rather she would threaten the teachers who demanded punishment of the perpetrator and herself spoke ill of the victim."

"She did not sit with the protesting guardians, as she wanted to hush up the matter.

"We've learnt a lot from the agitating students who had been protesting the inaction of authorities. We're ashamed," Rokhsana added.

The senior teacher, working at the Baily Road branch, said Hosne Ara had been absent since July 4, when the case was filed. "She did not take leave officially."

Rokhsana said the removal of Hosne Ara was decided in the governing body meeting on Tuesday afternoon and added that five out of eight members endorsed it.

"Everyone is happy after the decision," she claimed.

The new principal has been serving the institution for the last 34 years, she added.

The senior teacher called for assistance from society and said their action should not be viewed 'politically'.

bdnews24.com/si/pks/bd/1610h

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