One teacher fired, 2 others suspended
Viqarunnisa Noon School and College authorities yesterday fired a teacher of its Bashundhara branch on allegation of molesting a class X student.
Porimol Joydhor, the sacked teacher of Bangla department, went into hiding after the alleged assault.
Of the same campus, two other teachers — Barun Chandra Barman of commerce department and Abdul Kalam Azad of religion — were suspended for their indecent behaviour with students.
The decisions came at a meeting of the school’s governing body following demonstrations of guardians and students at Bashundhara and at its main branch of Shiddeshwari for the last few days.
“We have dismissed Porimol on allegation of assaulting a girl and suspended two more teachers for behaving indecently with students,” Husne Ara Begum, principal of the school, told The Daily Star.
In the meeting, a committee, headed by governing body member Khondakar Afroza Begum, has been formed to look into the allegations against Barun and Azad. It will submit a report within one month, she said.
She declined to make further comment.
The school, however, in a press release said Lutfur Rahman, who was in charge of Bashundhara branch, was relieved from duties because of his failure to carry out responsibilities. And another four teachers, against whom the students raised allegations, will be transferred.
Yesterday afternoon, the victim’s father filed a case with Badda Police Station accusing Porimol, Lutfur, and Husne Ara.
In the complaint, he mentioned that Porimol, who runs a coaching centre at his Badda residence, first molested his daughter on May 28.
As she went to the coaching centre in the morning, Porimol told her to go to another room, the complainant said, adding he locked the door and assaulted her. Porimol violated her once again on June 17.
Also, an unconfirmed source said Porimol on May 28 took a nude photograph of the girl and threatened her with posting the snapshot on the Internet if she ever refused to meet him.
The blackmail forced her to go to the tutorial house again on June 17, the source added.
Yesterday, enraged parents demonstrated in front of the two branches demanding arrest and punishment of Porimol and the school principal for their inaction.
They wanted to form a human chain in front of the main branch but the school authorities did not allow.
They have been staging protest for the last few days but the authorities did not pay any heed, rather tried to save Porimol, said the parents. They also brought allegations of sexual harassment against few more teachers.
The guardians, however, managed to form a human chain in front of Bashundhara branch which was declared closed a day before yesterday.
“How come a culprit like Porimol escaped when the students submitted a written allegation against him in the last week of June,” said a mother whose children also studies in class X.
The guardians alleged the authorities initially tried to hide the incident since Porimol’s village home is in Gopalganj and he once involved with Bangladesh Chhatra League.
Prof Noman-ur-Rashid, director general of Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education (DSHE), visited the two campuses yesterday and talked to parents and teachers.
He said the DSHE’s one-member probe body formed on Monday in its report will recommend dismissing Porimol and Barun and filing criminal case against them.
The committee will also suggest suspending four other teachers against whom the students and guardians brought allegations, he said. “The probe committee will also recommend taking necessary steps against the school principal as she can’t avoid the responsibility.”
-With The Daily Star input
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