Editorial
Teacher's sexual assault on pupil
School must explain its delayed action
The furore arising over allegations of sexual assault on a female student by a teacher of Viqarunnisa Noon School and College is of deep concern to citizens. One of course heaves a sigh of relief now that the alleged perpetrator of the crime, Porimol Joydhor, has been taken into custody. But the damage the incident has done to his victim and her family as well as to the reputation of the school itself is incalculable. And yet all this ugly publicity of the incident and a consequent fraying of the school's reputation could have been averted had the school authorities taken action immediately after the student in question and her schoolmates had filed a complaint with the head of the institution's Bashundhara branch.
We are appalled that the Viqarunnisa authorities chose not only to stay silent over the scandal but also, as alleged, warned the family of the victim to keep quiet on the matter. It is to be noted that Joydhor not only forced himself on his student more than once but also threatened to splash compromising pictures of her, which he had taken, in public. Any educationist adhering to the high principles of learning would have acted decisively and firmly. That it needed a public protest by guardians before the Bashundhara branch of the school and resultant publicising of the scandal in the media to compel the school administration into taking action is regrettable as well as shameful.
The sacking of the offending teacher is not enough. A public inquiry must also be launched against the school authorities for their attempts to suppress the incident. Meanwhile, the education ministry should speedily initiate inquiries into other schools across the country to ascertain if similar incidents have occurred there and have so far not been reported. A strict, enforceable code of conduct for teachers vis-à-vis their behaviour with students is now an absolute necessity.
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