Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid has asked headmasters of 531 schools, which were damaged by anti-polls activists before and during the election, to file cases against suspected criminals.
The minister gave the directive at a meeting with officials from the primary and mass education ministry and education ministry yesterday.
Nahid also asked the authority concerned to suspend the headmaster of Sujabad Government Primary School for allegedly torching the valuables of the school. A divisional case will also be filed against the accused teacher.
He urged all teachers not to commit such offences, and asked school authorities to strengthen security of the school premises.
He also urged students, guardians and mass people to resist such incidents.
“Please come forward to resist those who are destroying educational institutions and communal harmony,” he said.
On Tuesday, Nahid informed the media that the anti-liberation forces have torched a total of 531 schools across the country before and after the 10th parliamentary polls in the name of resistance.
“This is the first time such a heinous activity has been carried out in the history of movements of this country,” the minister said.
“Of the damaged institutions, 419 are primary schools, while 82 are high schools, 21 are madrasas and nine are colleges,” he added.
Saying the ministry was working to assess the overall damage of schools, Nahid added that after investigation, the ministry would soon take initiatives to repair the affected schools.
Meanwhile, eminent citizens and activists have strongly protested and expressed anger against incidents of torching schools. In a joint statement, 24 eminent citizens urged people to refrain from such violence.
Signed by Campaign for Popular Education Executive Director Rasheda K Choudhury, they demanded exemplary punishment to the perpetrators. They urged the government and the opposition to take initiatives so the use of educational institutions as polling centres could be avoided.
NGO Amar Odhikar Campaign demanded exemplary punishment to those involved in torching schools. It urged the authorities concerned to repair the schools as soon as possible.