In 2016, Shyamal Kanti Bhakta, the then-headmaster of Piyar Sattar Latif High School in Narayanganj, became the focus of public interest after a video of him being made to hold his ears while performing squats went viral on social media. He had been accused of hurting religious sentiment. The next year, I was arrested on charges of bribery. He retired from his job in July 2019 and is now living in Dhaka’s Moghbazar after suffering from a stroke on March 26 this year that has made him partially paralyzed and damaged his memory cells.
Dhaka Tribune: How are you doing?
Shyamal Kanti Bhakta: I am sick. I became paralyzed after having a stroke on March 26.
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DT: What do the doctors say about your health?
SKB: I was admitted to Birdem General Hospital for several days. I am at home now.
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DT: Have you heard anything about the Hriday Chandra Mondal incident?
SKB: Yes, he was arrested on charges of insulting religion. Whenever a teacher or a headmaster is accused of something, people assume that some of it must be true. They are always under pressure. Many people do not like them. And students do not act like students. It was different when I was a student. We would greet our teachers, and touch their feet to seek their blessings. And if we made any mistakes, we would not tread on the same ground as them out of fear. This is how we showed respect to our teachers. But things are not the same now.
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DT: Can you think of any reasons for such change?
SKB: There could be several reasons. One of them is the drastic change in their (students’) surrounding environment. Besides, there may be other issues including personal resentment.
DT: Why do you think you were targeted?
SKB: The school’s managing committee is to be blamed for leveling false allegations of insulting religion against me. The panel wanted a headmaster they could control…they wanted the teachers to do as they told them. He is a good headmaster to them who would get benefits and can keep his job. He would be thrown out if he did not comply, be it through official channels or beating. But why should I surrender my dignity? So, I was treated that way.
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DT: What about the bribery case against you?
SKB: I was sued in the bribery case about a year after that incident. It was done to weaken my resolve.
DT: Did you face any more troubles at the school?
SKB: There were some problems, of course. I used to go to school under police protection at first. But why should a teacher need to do that to take classes? This is not right.
DT: Did you get any support from your colleagues?
SKB: Non-government schools are influenced by external elements; so we cannot say or do anything at our whim. There are several groups who put pre1ssure on us – the society, locality and the school managing committee; they have control over schools like ours. They treat the teachers like their slaves.
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DT: Were you able to identify any of the wrongdoers?
SKB: Yes, but I cannot reveal the names because it requires adequate evidence., which I do not have.
DT: What was Narayanganj 5 lawmaker AKM Selim Osman’s role in all of this?
SKB: He is a public representative, and public representatives always side with the public. It is not in their best interest to do otherwise. They are always worried about their future as they have to be elected again. The only thing they know is politics. We are ordinary people…we suffer. We cannot do anything.
DT: Did you face any problems or receive threats after retirement?
SKB: A retired person and a dead person are the same in a way. Just before retirement, people start thinking that this person is about to retire, and so, he will not be here for too long.
DT: Do you think what happened with Hriday Mondal and other similar incidents are religious issues?
SKB: The recent events cannot be attributed to religious reasons. Public sentiment is being exploited by turning them into religious issues. You and I both see that. The same thing happened to me as well. Our school committee had a member named Mojib, who made it a big issue by mixing religion with it. Back then, a headmaster was even killed over a religious issue. He (Mojib) took advantage of that incident, and falsely accused me of insulting the religion, when in reality, there was no talk about religion. It was a big lie.
DT: What actually happened on that day?
SKB: I do not want to remember those events. I feel pressure in my head when I think about it. I used to have that pain ever since that incident, and then I had a stroke this year. That incident is one of the reasons behind my illness. Please pray for me.