HC asks authorities to submit probe report in one month

The High Court yesterday directed the principal of Udayan Higher Secondary School in the capital to probe into an allegation of torture on an eighth grader by a teacher of the school and to submit the report to it in one month.

The principal, Umme Salema Begum, was also asked to mention in the report what steps have so far been taken against the teacher.

Issuing a suo moto rule, the court ordered her to take measures so that the student who fell victim to torture can attend the classes and continue his study at the school without any hindrance. 

On April 13, Jaoshed Alam, a mathematics teacher of the school, called the student out while he was attending another class, and beat him up, according to a report published on bangla daily Prothom Alo on Tuesday.

After that, the student got panicked and fell sick.

The HC bench of Justice Salma Masud Chowdhury and Justice Md Salim yesterday issued the rule asking the authorities concerned to explain in four weeks why appropriate legal actions would not be taken against the teacher for the torture after Supreme Court lawyers Ruhul Quddus Kajal and Abu Khaled Al Mamun placed the report before it seeking necessary order.

Education secretary, director general of the directorate of secondary and higher secondary education, chairman of Dhaka education board, deputy commissioner of Dhaka, principal of Udayan school and the managing director of its governing body have been made respondents to the rule.

Kajal alleged that Jaoshed beat the student mercilessly without any specific reason.

However, indicating taunts at teachers by students, the principal said, "Jaoshed was popular with the students…but it is needed to know what led him to get so angry and beat the student," added the Prothom Alo report.