Stalker or victim of conspiracy?
Headmaster jailed, while locals, students hold rally, shut school in protest
A mobile court awarded four months' imprisonment to the headmaster of Basherbanda Bohumukhi High School in Ishwardi upazila under the district on charge of sexual harassment to a girl student on Sunday.
On the other hand, locals and present and former students of the school staged demonstration and forced closure of the school activities yesterday protesting 'harassment of the innocent headmaster'.
They said a false sexual harassment charge was brought against Shamsul Islam, headmaster of the school, as some teachers hatched a conspiracy to remove him.
Police caught Shamsul Islam from the school premises on Sunday morning on charge of sexual harassment to a girl student of the school, said Kazi Haniful Islam, officer in-charge (OC) of Ishwardi police station.
"The accused headmaster sexually harassed a class seven student of the school inside the classroom at about 10:30am on Sunday when all other teachers and students were in the assembly. Hearing scream of the victim, teachers and students rushed to the classroom, rescued the girl and surrounded the headmaster," the OC quoted the school sources as saying.
Police produced the accused, the victim and witnesses to the mobile court led by Ishwardi Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Md Jakir Hossain on Sunday afternoon.
“The victim described the sexual harassment to the court. Three teachers of the school also gave statements as witnesses. The mobile court sentenced the accused headmaster four months' imprisonment on the basis of proper evidence,” the UNO said.
The headmaster was sent to jail on Sunday night.
A good number of locals and former students brought out a demonstration yesterday morning protesting what they said conspiracy against the headmaster.
The demonstrators accused the assistant headmaster of the school for 'making the plot of sexual harassment allegation'.
Clash following the demonstrators' altercation with the assistant headmaster and some other teachers of the school left two teachers and two former students of the school injured, said sources.
The classes were suspended and teachers and students left the school due to the turmoil.
At a rally beside the school, the demonstrators announced that the school would remain closed until the headmaster is relieved from the 'false charge'.
“Hundreds of former students, villagers and the local elites have joined hands and started demonstration to save the innocent headmaster from conspiracy. Tougher agitation programme will be taken if he is not relieved from the false charge,” said former student Md Nasim, also a local elite.
School managing committee Chairman Md Bashir Ahmed Bakul, also vice chairman of Ishwardi upazila parishad, said, "Locals have forced closure of the school. We are trying to solve the problem for smooth running of classes at the school.”
Additional police have been deployed to avert further unwanted situation.
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