A Dhaka Court on Tuesday placed a male teacher of Viqarunnisa Noon School and College on a two-day remand following allegations of sexually harassing students.
The Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Court judge passed the order. Earlier on Monday night, police arrested Murad Hossain Sarkar, a mathematics teacher at the reputed educational institution.
The police applied to the court seeking a seven-day remand. After a hearing, the court however granted two days remand.
Mohammad Helal Uddin, officer-in-charge of Lalbagh Police Station, said, ‘Murad was arrested on Monday.’
The mother of the student filed a case against the morning shift teacher on Monday evening.
She made an allegation against the teacher for sexually harassing students at his coaching centre.
Keka Roy Chowdhury, Azimpur branch Acting Principal said they decided to suspend the teacher after holding a meeting of the governing body as the allegations brought against him were found to be primarily true.
Moreover, a decision was made to form a three-member committee from the divisional commissioner’s office to investigate the incident, she said.
On February 7, students submitted complaints to the principal accusing the teacher of sexual harassment.
The school authority withdrew the senior teacher and subsequently attached him to the principal’s office in the face of a demonstration by a section of students and their guardians on Saturday.
Protesting the withdrawal decision the following day, the students and their guardians started a protest on the school campus, demanding exemplary punishment of the accused.
The guardians also held a press conference at the National Press Club the same day, demanding that the accused teacher be sacked.
On the other hand, rejecting the allegations, another section of students and their guardians announced to holding a press conference at Dhaka Reporters’ Unity in favour of the senior teacher.