Viqarunnisa principal’s delayed action caused subsequent events, it says
The committee formed to investigate the violation of a student of Viqarunnisa Noon School and College and the following incidents, found the accused teacher, Parimal Jayadhar, guilty of raping the girl and suggested exemplary punishment for him.
The five-member probe body, headed by Dhaka Board’s examination controller SM Wahiduzzaman, submitted the report along with recommendations to education minister Nurul Islam Nahid on Sunday.
It had submitted its report to the Dhaka Education Board’s chairman on Thursday.
After getting the report, Nahid said that the allegation against Parimal has been proved beyond doubt. ‘The report says Parimal committed a brutal crime despite being a teacher,’ he said.
He also said that the probe report had said that many untoward incidents had taken place afterwards because of principal Husne Ara Begum’s delay in taking action.
The 24-page report contained the testimonies of 18 students given in 22 days.
When asked whether the government would take action against the college principal, Husne Ara Begum, Dhaka Education Board chairman Fahima Khatun said that she is on leave now, and since the managing committee of any non-government institution is responsible for taking action against any teacher, the Board has nothing to do in this regard.
The government formed the five-member committee in response to vociferous protests by the students in mid-July against the rape, and demands for removal of principal Husne Ara Begum for allegedly trying to protect the rapist.
Parimal has been arrested and sent to jail.
Dhaka Chief Metropolitan Magistrate’s Court on Sunday transferred the case filed against Parimal on rape charge to Dhaka Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal-4 for trial.
Earlier on August 14, the police submitted charge sheet in the case pressing charge against Parimal for raping the girl.
The probe committee was at first given 10 working days to submit the report but the deadline was extended by five more days after it sought time.
The probe accused principal Husne Ara Begum and the school’s managing committee of failing to take prompt action against the teacher, said sources in the Board.
The Board has made a series of recommendations, including setting up of complaint cells in all schools and colleges, prohibition of private tuition by teachers to the students of the same institution and widening of the government’s role in the management of non-government educational institutions.
The report also said that the number of branches of the Viqarunnisa Noon School and College had grown beyond the controlling and monitoring capacity of the principal and the managing committee.
It also recommended strong government supervision of the affairs in non-government schools and colleges.
The managing committee is the sole authority of any non-government school or college and the government has very little say, it pointed out.
It also recommended restriction on the setting up of branches by non-government schools and colleges.
The government on July 13 dissolved the managing committee of the Viqarunnisa Noon School and College after some committee members, in the absence of chairman Rashed Khan Menon, removed Husne Ara Begum as the principal and appointed senior teacher Ambia Khatun to the position.
The government on July 14 appointed Manju Ara Begum as the acting principal of Viqarunnisa Noon School and College after a weeklong protest by students demanding removal of Husne Ara Begum.
-With New Age input
