A schoolgirl in Badalgachhi upazila who was assaulted sexually by the headmaster has been absent in class for the last five and a half months.
The family of the fifth-grader at Begunjoar Government Primary School is now worried about whether she will appear in the Primary School Certificate examinations scheduled to begin on November 22.
Formal complaints were lodged against Shahriar Hossain, headmaster of the school, but he is yet to be disciplined by the authorities concerned. Assistant Director of the education directorate’s Rajshahi office Abul Kalam Azad visited the school to carry out a probe into the allegation two months ago but no action has yet been taken.
The girl from Donoil village was sexually assaulted by Shahriar in his room at the school on May 4 when she got in to show him a script. The headmaster let her go when she screamed.
Parents of the girl wrote to the upazila education officer and the president of the school’s management committee pleading for befitting action.
Md Rashidul Islam, president of the school’s management committee, told reporters that the allegation against the headmaster was found to be true.
On July 7, Rashidul wrote to the deputy director of the Directorate of Primary Education’s Rajshahi office, assistant director, district primary education officer and upazila primary education officer recommending the headmaster be transferred as part of punitive measures.
“Abul Kalam Azad visited the school in response to my letter and a transfer order was issued, which is yet to be implemented,” he said.
District Education Officer Md Aminul Islam Mondol said the transfer order would be carried out once a successor to the headmaster was chosen.
Md Jahangir Hossain, headmaster of Krishnapur Government Primary School which is located nearby, said this was really sad that the girl had stopped coming to school after the incident.
“Things should be sorted out,” he added.
The headmaster, Shahriar, however, denied the allegation against him, claiming he had been framed. He said he had received a transfer order and would leave once it was executed by the district education office.
“[The girl] has been absent from class for a couple of months but we are trying to bring her back. We have even offered her female stipend facilities but still she refuses to attend school,” he said.