Parents of the students of Viqarunnisa Noon School and College have demanded the resignation of its Principal Kamrun Nahar for allegedly disobeying the instructions of the Secondary and Higher Education Division.
One parent, Anisur Rahman Anis, voiced the demand on behalf of all guardians at a press conference at Nazrul Hamid Auditorium of Dhaka Reporters Unity on Wednesday.
Anis said the Secondary and Higher Education Division on November 18 last year instructed the institution not to take any extra fees from students except tuition.
Besides, it was also directed to reimburse or adjust fees for those charged extra in 2020.
However, Principal Kamrun Nahar did not refund any fees, and instead collected Tk3,000 as session fee, disobeying the government’s order and violating the law, claimed Anis.
Parents at the conference also said that the school divided students into groups from September 12 so as to prevent gatherings and prevent the spread of Covid-19.
But Kamrun Nahar set aside classrooms every weekend for holding job exams, charging a huge sum of money and embezzling it instead of depositing it in the school fund, they claimed.
The guardians said 13 such exams were held at the school from September 18 to November 13 and the number of job candidates was 5,500 — large gatherings which had put the students' health at risk.
They also said that Kamrun Nahar's personal assistant Dilruba Khatun, who retired in June, assisted her in the embezzlement.
Dilruba Khatun, despite retiring, was still working in the office every day without a salary only to help the principal conceal her unethical activities, they added.
Moreover, Jagadish Chandra Pal, head of the school’s Bashundhara branch, had been removed from his post on August 18 last year on charges of insulting Islam, but Kamrun Nahar reinstated him after 14 months, they said.
The parents also said there was no toilet for them at the school and they had no space for parking their vehicles in the basement as the principal had rented it out.
The guardians said they needed to wait outside till school ended as there was no waiting room for them, adding that they could not enter the school premises on the principal’s instructions.
Denying the accusations, Principal Kamrun Nahar said the press briefing was a conspiracy against her.
“The government gives me a monthly salary, so why would I need to engage in any illegal activities?” she questioned.
