A group of students from Viqarunnisa Noon School and College are continuing their protest, seeking the release of Class 9 Teacher Hasna Hena.
The students took position in front of the school gate around 11:45am on Saturday, holding placards and chanting slogans such as "amar ma nirdosh" - roughly translating to "our mother is innocent."
They continued the protest till 4pm and postponed it to Sunday morning. The studentsalso claimed that their teacher Hasnawas made a scapegoat.
While the protest is goingon, the school students are appearing for their exams whereas the college students have vowed to boycott classes until Aritry Adhikari’s Class Teacher Hasna is released.
Hasna was arrested by the Detective Branch (DB) of police from Dhaka’s Uttara area on Wednesday night, for allegedly instigating Aritry's suicide.
Anika Ishraf Ikra, a student representative from the college, said: "We will boycott our classes until our teacher is released."
Adding that ex-Viqarunnisa students are also supporting them, Ikra said: "We cannot accept these types of insults towards our teachers. Hasna is like our mother.
“We want her quick release."
A few guardians, who have joined the protests, said Hasna is just a class teacher; she did not make the decision to expel Aritry.
Other guardians have claimed that even though Hasna is innocent, she was the only one among the three accused to be sent to jail.
On December 6, a Dhaka court turned down Hasna’sbail petition and sent her to jail.
On the other hand, Amir Hossain, another guardian, said: "A certain vested quarter is working to provoke the students.
"This [protest] has become chaotic, with the students protesting and boycotting classes for two different reasons. It is hampering the goodwill of the organization," he said.
The guardian added: "If Hasna is innocent, it will be proved legally - as she is currently facing the case lodged by Aritry's father."
The whole case should be re-investigated, he said.
3 Viqarunnisa teachers sacked
On December 6, Viqarunnisa authorities sacked acting principal Nazneen Ferdous and morning shift in-charge Zinnat Ara, alongside Hasna, following government orders that came after two days of protests over Aritry's death.
The monthly pay-orders (MPOs) of all three teachers were also cancelled.
Two investigation committees, one by the government and another by the school authorities, were formed to investigate the matter.
Case filed by victim’s father
The victim’s father, Dilip Adhikary, accused Hasna Hena, Nazneen Ferdous, and Zinnat Akhtar, of instigating the suicide, in a case filed with Paltan police station on December 4.
The Education Ministry also asked the police and Rapid Action Battalion to take legal action against the teachers.
Why did Aritry commit suicide?
According to the first information report (FIR) filed with the Paltan police station, Aritry committed suicide on December 3, after her parents were summoned to the school and told that she would be given a transfer certificate, because she was caught with a mobile phone in an examination hall the day before.
Aritry and her parents pleaded with Zinnat, the morning shift in-charge, and later the principal, to forgive her and let her take the rest of the exams, but both the teachers were unmoved and rude to the family, Dilip further claimed.