People from different walks of life on Friday demanded exemplary punishment of Parimal Jayadhar, a teacher at Viqarunnisa Noon School and College, arrested on charge of sexual harassment of a student.
Speakers at a protest rally also demanded action against the institution’s authorities for allegedly trying to suppress the incident.
They called upon the authorities to implement the High Court guideline against sexual harassment in educational institutions and launch a complaint cell at every school and college to monitor such offences.
The rally, organised at the Central Shaheed Minar under the banner of Solidarity Platform for
Viqarunnisa Noon School and College Educationalists, was attended by intellectuals and students, teachers and guardians of different educational institutions.
Professor emeritus Serajul Islam Choudhury, professor Anu Muhammad, New Age editor Nurul Kabir, political leaders Mushrefa Mishu and Zonayed Saki, thespian Mamunur Rashid, columnist Rahnuma Ahmed, singer Krisnakali Islam, photographer Shahidul Alam and artists Fayzul Hakim Lala and Ferdausi Priabhashini expressed their solidarity with the students of Viqarunnisa Noon School and demanded exemplary punishment of Parimal.
Different socio-cultural and political organisations, including Samajtantrik Mahila Forum, Bangladesh Chhatra Federation, Pahari Chhatra Parishad, Bangladesh Chhatra Union, Jatiya Mukti Council and Ganasanghati Andolan also expressed their solidarity with the demands of the students of the institution.
Serajul Islam Choudhury said the incident at Viqarunnisa Noon School had exposed the extent of moral decadence in the society.
He called for building up a strong social campaign against such vices.
Professor Anu Muhammad said that those committing such crimes had links to power. He demanded strict implementation of the High Court directive against sexual harassment in educational institutions.
Nurul Kabir praised the students of the institute and their guardians for speaking out against such heinous crimes and expressed his dismay at less participation of Dhaka University students at the protest rally.
Mourin Binte Zaman, a student of Viqarunnisa Noon School and College, criticised the role of education minister Nurul Islam Nahid and the institution’s governing body chairman Rashed Khan Menon over the incident.
‘The government is trying to give an impression that a third force was instigating. It should understand that the students are enough to wage a movement against such heinous crimes.’
Viqarunnisa Noon School and College teacher Rokhsana Shamim also criticised the attempt to invent political links to the incident.
Parimal Jayadhar, a teacher of Bangla at the school’s Bashundhara campus, allegedly abused a girl and videoed it with his mobile. He confessed to have committed the crime in his statement on Monday.
-With New Age input
