From irregularities in hiring teachers and enrolling students to misbehaving with students and their guardians to sexual harassment of students, Viqarunnisa Noon School and College (VNSC) has been facing allegations one after another for years.
Amid protests and criticism over the recent sexual abuse of a student, the government on Wednesday cancelled the admission of 169 first graders of the school due to non-compliance with enrollment regulations.
With such events unfolding gradually, many have questioned what the governing body of one of the much-talked-about schools of the country is doing to address the issues.
Several stakeholders blame the VNSC principal’s negligence for the recurring chaos.
Latest sexual abuse
A Dhaka court yesterday sent Murad Hossain Sarkar, a senior teacher of Viqarunnisa Noon School and College's Azimpur branch, to jail in a case lodged over allegedly sexually harassing a student.
Meanwhile, the police told reporters that they found evidence of sexual harassment of students against Murad.
Evidence of harassment was found through analyzing various sources, including mobile phones and laptops which were seized during his arrest, they said.
Murad was arrested in the early hours of February 27 from his Kalabagan home and placed on a two-day remand on that day.
The school authorities at an emergency meeting on February 26 suspended him.
But prior to that, a written complaint was filed against Murad on February 7.
The college authorities formed a three-member probe body the next day. Mamtaz Begum was made its convener while its other members were VNSC teachers Dr Farhana Khanam and Shamsun Ara Sultana.
Acting principal Keka Roy Chowdhury said the committee was given seven working days to submit a report.
The probe report was submitted on February 22.
Allegations surfaced that the governing body and the principal are not giving importance to the reported sexual abuse.
After a video on the incident went viral on social media on February 24, Murad was withdrawn from his regular duty at the day shift of the Azimpur branch and was attached to the principal's office.
Many found it merely an “eyewash” instead of stern action being taken against the accused as the probe body failed to submit its findings on time.
And even after the probe report was submitted, the governing body did not take any punitive measures against him.
Debate over the probe
Out of 77 students, 60 commented positively on Murad, according to the report. It means 17 students expressed their negative observations about him. The 17 girls complained of sexual harassment and repression.
The probe body filed the findings through a questionnaire given to the students.
However, several students reportedly ducked the questions pitched by the committee out of fear of the “consequences”.
Many of those familiar with the investigation said that the statements of the rest (60) of the students were recorded even though they did not face any abuse.
“They are not even aware of Murad’s behaviour,” the report says.
Several stakeholders alleged that the probe was carried out in a “fabricated” manner so that Murad could be saved.
Moreover, the investigators recommended that Murad be attached to the principal’s office and that he face no punishment.
“If any teacher himself/herself or through his/her child or current or former student defames the educational institute (through social media or any other medium) and if the allegation is found true, he/she will face legal action; otherwise the academic environment will be hampered,” they recommended.
“The allegations raised by three students against Murad dated back a year and after performing Hajj, he did not commit any such act. Hence, he can be warned for the last time and transferred,” says the report.
“In addition, since the complainants could not provide proper evidence, it is possible to take some other decision against Murad. In that case, a high-level probe committee can be formed,” it adds.
Regarding the issue, VNSC Principal Keka Roy Chowdhury said: “A high-level committee has been formed for thorough investigation. But for the sake of a fair probe, I can’t reveal any details about it.”
VNSC Guardians’ Forum General Secretary Abdul Majid Sujan, venting his anger, said: “How does the probe body claim that the allegation of sexual abuse was not proven despite 17 students complaining of it?
“Also, is it justified to exonerate him because he did not commit any such crime after Hajj?” Sujan added.
Admission scams so far
The cancellation of the enrolment of 169 students by the Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education (DSHE) was in line with a High Court ruling.
As per admission rules, students born before January 1, 2017, would be considered ineligible for admission to the VNSC.
However, the DSHE found that 169 students were admitted this year, breaking the admission criterion as they were born in 2015 and 2016.
Before that, the VNSC enrolled 443 additional students in 2019.
Of them, 162 admissions were registered when Keka was the acting principal. Later on, the rest (281) of the students were admitted when Hasina Begum was the acting principal.
Nevertheless, the 443 admission forms did not have the signatures of the two acting principals. It was alleged then that the governing body forcibly got the students enrolled.
As Hasina Begum protested the move, the governing body reported her to the DSHE, which suspended her monthly pay order (MPO).
However, Keka has yet to face any action as the then governing body took no measure in this regard.
Acting principal’s questionable appointment
The rule of promoting a senior teacher to the post was flouted when Keka was made the acting principal.
Despite being a senior teacher, Hasina Begum was deprived of the position as she had allegedly admitted additional students beyond the permissible quota.
But Keka was promoted to the position despite facing the same allegation.
More arguable appointments
In 2022, the governing body through an ad hoc committee hired 69 teachers and administrative staff members tampering the relevant rules and regulations.
The governing body did not step in after the appointments raised eyebrows.
What stakeholders say
A VNSC teacher, preferring anonymity, said: “The irregularities continue despite many high-ups of the government being in the governing body.
“The allegations of sexual abuse are stirring chaos anew in the renowned educational institute,” the teacher added.
Governing body member Mausumi Khan, said Dhaka’s divisional commissioner is the head of the committee.
“He is a good person but does not get enough time (for the institute). Anyway, the acting principal should have been more aware of what’s going on in the VNSC,” she said.
The acting principal, Mausumi said, spends less time with the governing body.
“Had she been more active, we would have avoided the unwanted circumstance,” she added.
Ghulam Benazir Polash, another member of the governing body, said he had written to the acting principal against the illegal enrolments, but in vain.
“I did the same after the latest round of allegations regarding sexual abuse surfaced. I came to know about the probe body days after it was formed,” he added.
“I was not even given a copy of the letter regarding attaching the accused to the principal’s office,” he furthered.
If the acting principal had been more vocal and engaging, the ongoing chaos could have been averted, Polash said, adding: “The governing body’s chairman takes prompt measures if informed of anything early.
“But it seems he is not updated regularly and in a timely fashion,” Polash concluded.