After five years of drawing salaries, but allegedly ignoring her duties as the head teacher of Barakhata High School, Moslema Khatun, wife of a former state minister, has returned to regular duty at the school.
The alleged ill practice by Moslema, the wife of former state minister for primary and mass education Motahar Hossain, went unchallenged throughout the tenure of the past government, allegedly because of her husband’s political influence, who was also the president of the school’s managing committee.
Seeking anonymity, teachers and staffs of the school in Lalmonirhat’s Hatibandha upazila said Moslema went to Dhaka to live with her husband after he was made state minister in 2009. The head teacher, however, did not resign from her office and only made brief visits to the school every month to sign official documents, they added.
Moslema reportedly returned to her regular duties from the beginning of January this year.
School sources said Assistant Head Teacher Azizul Islam handled all official duties during Moslema’s absence, but did not have the authority to sign the school’s official documents – which could only be done by the head teacher.
Asked about the allegations, Azizul said: “Our head teacher Moslema Khatun is a very dutiful teacher and she never tries to evade her duties. Sometimes she goes to the capital after taking leave in accordance with official procedures. We have not faced any problems during her absence, as she monitored the management well.”
“As assistant head teacher, I managed all official activities when our madam was on leave,” he added.
Students of the school however claimed that they did not see their head teacher in her office during the last five years, and often had to wait to get signatures from her.
Mozaharul Islam, manager of Sonali Bank’s Hatibandha upazila branch, said salaries were paid regularly through the bank to all teachers and staffs of the school including the head teacher.
When contacted, Moslema said she has been a diabetic patient for 21 years and has to periodically receive treatment in the capital. Denying allegations of evading her duties on purpose, the head teacher said she had returned to office after becoming physically fit.
The government-paid salaries were collected to pay for the medical treatments, she added.
Taiyeb Ali, upazila education officer of Hatibandha, said he had no knowledge of the allegations as he was posted at the upazila very recently. However, he added that the matter would be investigated if any written complaint were filed.