Elections to the governing body of the capital’s Ideal School and College have been scheduled in violation of the Establishment, Study, and Academic Recognition of Private Educational Institutions Policy-2022.
It is alleged that the elections have been planned in a bid to continue corruption by keeping all branches of the school under the control of its main campus.
The election schedule was announced at the office of Dhaka’s additional deputy commissioner on March 19.
March 20 and 21 were fixed for collecting nomination forms, with the only day for submitting the papers being on Sunday.
The nomination forms will be scrutinized Monday, while March 27 has been set for the withdrawal of candidacy.
The voting will be held without any break from 10am and 4pm on April 19.
The schedule has been announced in line with rule No 16 of Governing Body and Managing Committee Regulations-2009 for secondary and higher secondary educational institutes, said a notice in this regard.
Only one governing body will be elected for all branches – a decision that contradicts the 2022 policy which mandates separate committees for each branch of any private educational institution.
Meanwhile, the 2009 regulations say each educational institution should have its own EIIN (educational institute identification number), and the addresses of the main campus and branches should be mentioned.
The campus and branches should have separate manpower and governing bodies, the regulations add.
However, the Ideal School and College authorities, keeping all branches in the grip of the main campus, are gearing up for the elections allegedly to embezzle money through illegal recruitments.
Following a report of the Directorate of Inspection and Audit, the matter drew criticism from different quarters.
Even though a secretary of the government previously served as the head of the school’s governing body, he did not take measures to form separate management committees.
After that, Education Ministry Additional Secretary Md Rabiul Islam was tasked with the role.
“The educational institution has been operated by a governing body for a long time. If the branches no longer stay under the control of the main campus, separate governing bodies will be formed,” he said.
Sources said a vested quarter is trying to form “pocket committees” in an effort to keep controlling the governing body.
It is learnt that an aspirant named on the voters’ list is being denied a nomination form.
The school’s acting principal, Prof Mohammad Emam Hossain, said: “The polls schedule has been announced for the formation of a governing body for the main campus and all branches.”
The acting principal, when asked about the graft charges, ducked the question.
Obhubhabok Oikya Forum President Ziaul Kabir Dulu demanded that the schedule be suspended and a new schedule be announced in line with rules and regulations.
“Besides separate governing bodies for all branches, we also want an updated list of voters,” he added.
“If the chief of the governing body is a highly-placed government official, why can’t he/she ensure the application of the relevant rules?” Dulu concluded.
