Viqarunnisa teacher asked to refrain from duties
-- Fresh protests sparked over decision
-- Education ministry, school form 2 probe bodies
-- Principal denies insulting parents at school
--Minister assures action against guilty proof
Authorities of Viqarunnisa Noon School and College have asked its morning shift-in-charge Zinnat Ara to refrain from duties amid a strong public anger over suicide of a student.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. The authorities of the institution issued a show-cause notice against Zinnat Ara, and ordered her to refrain from duties.
Yesterday afternoon, a ninth-grader student hanged herself in her house after she was scolded by her teachers over plagiarism in tests.
The education ministry and school authorities have formed separate probe bodies over the death of a student in Dhaka who hanged herself after being rebuked by her teachers.
Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid visited Viqarunnisa Noon School and College’s Bailey Road branch and announced a three-member probe committee will be formed to investigate.
Viqarunnisa Noon School and College Principal Nazneen Ferdous announced the other probe body, with two guardians and a teacher, which will report in the next three days.
“Actions will be taken against anyone found guilty,” she told reporters, after being asked if she herself is mostly to blame for the student’s suicide.
‘HOW MUCH INSULT IT TAKES TO COMMIT SUICIDE?’
Education Minister Nahid condemned the incident of suicide and said actions will be taken against anyone found guilty behind the student’s suicide.
“How much pain, how much insult does it take for a student to choose the path of suicide?” he said, after speaking to students and guardians alike.
Meanwhile, students and guardians staged protests before the school campus on Bailey Road alleging mass irregularities within the school system.
A group of those demonstrators have demanded removal of the principal.
Meanwhile, Principal Ferdous has rejected allegations that the guardians were called up and insulted at the school -- what the protesters believe is the key reason behind the suicide.
FORM BODY TO PROBE THE SUICIDE: HC
The High Court today directed the education secretary to form a committee to enquire into the suicide incident of a ninth-grader student of Viquarunnisa Noon School and College.
An additional secretary of the education ministry will head the five-member committee which will also find out the fact, the court said.
The court asked the education secretary to submit the probe report before it in a month.
Other four members of the committee will include a deputy secretary of the social welfare ministry, an educationist, a psychiatrist and a lawyer.
Issuing a suomoto (voluntary) order, the HC asked the committee to formulate a comprehensive national policy to prevent such incidents and to submit another report before it in a month.
The HC bench Justice FRM Nazmul Ahasan and Justice KM Kamrul Kader came up with the order following a report published on Bangla daily Prothom Alo on the incident of committing suicide by the student.
Four Supreme Court lawyers -- Barrister Aneek R Haque, Barrister Jyotirmoy Barua, Advocate Aynunnahar Siddiqua and Advocate Jasmin Sultana brought the newspaper report before the HC judges for necessary order on the government to prevent the students and teachers from such incidents.
WHAT HAPPENED YESTERDAY?
According to the victim’s father, the parents were called to the school yesterday after teachers caught the girl using a mobile phone during tests.
He said, the school authorities had spoken of barring her from sitting in this year's annual tests and issuing a transfer certificate (TC) because of it.
At around 12:30pm, the girl closed the door of her room at their Shantinagar residence, and hanged herself from the ceiling fan with a scarf.
Her family members broke open the door and took her to a local hospital. She was later taken to DMCH where doctors pronounced her dead, at 4:00pm.
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