A probe panel has been formed to investigate the incident of beating up 18 female students of a school in Naogaon for not being in uniform.
However, the parents of the students claimed that the assistant headteacher assaulted them for wearing hijab.
Upazila Livestock Officer Dr Abdul Malek is leading the three-member inquiry committee.
Mohadevpur Upazila Nirbahi Officer Mizanur Rahman confirmed the matter on Friday.
He said, on Thursday night, a team consisting of an assistant superintendent of police (ASP) of the upazila administration and the police spoke to the accused assistant headmistress, Amodini Paul, the victims and other teachers of the school.
After listening to the statements of all the parties, it seems that the teacher has ruled the students as they did not come after school dress.
“One of the female students (beaten up by the teacher) was a Hindu. Not only that, on the day of the incident, another teacher (Badiul Alam) also disciplined some boys for not wearing school dress. The incident later appeared to have led to the hijab controversy,” UNO Mizanur Rahman said.
The inquiry committee has been asked to submit its report within three days.
Meanwhile, additional police have been deployed in and around Daul Barbakpur High School to avoid any untoward incidents.
On Thursday, guardians complained in writing to the UNO, education officer and police over the incident at the school in the upazila.
According to the complaint, Amodini Paul on Wednesday beat up and hurled abuses at the 18 students for entering the school without their uniform.
An assistant teacher also hit three eighth-graders on Amodini’s instructions.
Acknowledging the incident, Headteacher Dharani Kanta Barman said Amodini will receive a show-cause notice.
Some parents, meanwhile, maintained that the students had been thrashed for wearing hijab.
Dismissing the allegations, Amodini told Bangla Tribune: “It was not a religious issue. I disciplined them for not wearing the school uniform.”
“A certain group of people are trying to turn it into a religious issue,” she added.
Mohadevpur UNO Md Mijanur Rahman said necessary action will be taken after the education officer probes into the matter and submits a report on it.
Some agitated parents had tried to storm the school, said Mohadevpur police station OC Azam Uddin Mahmud. “We later managed to bring the situation under control. The headteacher has assured us that actions will be taken against the teacher.”
