Students demand removal of Bogura Govt High School headmistress

Students of Bogura Government (Victoria Memorial) Girls High School demanded the removal of its headmistress Rabeya Khatun following an allegation against a Bogura judge of forcing two guardians to apologise by touching her feet.

Aggrieved students and parents put forward the demand in front of the school on Monday.

Protesting students and guardians claimed that the incident of abuse of the parents happened due to the irresponsibility of the head teacher. Even after the incident, the headmistress allegedly threatened the students in various ways.

They also claimed the head teacher is another culprit of the incident of the parent apologising by holding the judge's feet. Due to her irresponsibility and giving more importance to the judge, the incident happened that day.

Moreover, the headmistress misbehaved with the students for protesting and also threatened to throw them out of the school.

Deputy Commissioner Saiful Islam has assured the students of a fair judgement in view of their demand after an investigation.

Students of the school said they regularly sweep and clean their classrooms by rotation. The judge's daughter, an eighth grader of the school, was supposed to sweep the classroom on 20 March. But she refused to do it as she is the judge's daughter.

She had an argument with her classmates about this. That night, the student made a post on Facebook describing the students as slum girls, the protesting students claimed.

Later, four female students took screenshots of her post and protested her comment in their Facebook group. After learning about it, Bogura Additional District and Sessions Judge Rubaiya Yasmin asked the headmistress to call the parents of the students on 21 March.

When they came to the headmistress' room, the judge allegedly threatened to send the students and their parents to jail under the Digital Security Act (DSA). She also allegedly forced two guardians to apologise for insulting her on Facebook.

On 23 March, Judge Rubaiya Yasmin was relieved of her judicial duties and transferred to the law ministry over the allegation.

Students yesterday complained that they were scolded after entering the school for forming a human chain and inviting journalists.

Parents complained that being a head teacher, she cannot discriminate between students. But she has been doing so. Even if the judge was removed, the head teacher will continue to repeat the same incident if there is no punishment for her.

Denying intimidation to students, headmistress Rabeya Khatun said, "I did not talk to the students. I will not say anything more about these things as I am now under investigation. I will speak when the investigation is over. I am also a victim of the situation."

Deputy Commissioner Saiful Islam said, "I do not know who threatened the students. However, a probe committee was formed on 23 March and asked them to report within 15 working days."

A three-member probe committee was formed, led by an additional deputy commissioner (education and ICT), to investigate whether anyone else, including the headmistress of the school, was involved in the incident.

When asked, Judge Rubaiya Yasmin told The Business Standard, "For the past four months, my daughter has been a victim of bullying at school. She had a difference of opinion with her classmates regarding the matter. They criticised the matter on Facebook. I talked to my daughters' classmates about their misdeeds."

Refuting the allegations, she said, "I did not call any parent about the school incident. There was no such issue of holding feet or apologising by any guardian."