Class IV student returns after 21 hours 'disappearance'
Guardians assault institution's vice-principal, security guards
After going missing for around 21 hours, a student of Willes Little Flower School and College in the capital's Kakrail returned on his own to his Gandaria residence yesterday with no idea of what had happened.
During this period, his guardians beat up the school's vice principal and two security guards over the disappearance, filed a general diary and went to numerous hospitals in search of him.
The school's academic activities remained suspended for half an hour yesterday as its teachers formed a human chain and organised a press conference inside the school protesting the attack.
On his return around 7:00am yesterday, 13-year-old Farhan Iqbal Shakil, studying in class IV, fell sick and was admitted to Mitford Hospital in Old Dhaka. He was also unable to speak, claimed his father, Iqbal Hossain Tayeb.
“My son just said that he could not recall anything once entering through the school gate around 12:00 noon on Wednesday. He said he regained his consciousness on a Tikatuli road in the morning and returned home,” said Iqbal.
Journalists who were able to talk to Farhan in the hospital said the boy's account was no different.
The school Principal Lt Col Md Alamgir Hussain, at the press conference, said Farhan went to his maternal grandfather's residence instead of coming to school as he failed in four subjects in the second terminal exam.
“Yesterday (Wednesday) was the report card distribution date. I suspect that Farhan's father is so harsh and cruel that Farhan was fearful of what might happen once his father got to know the result,” he said.
A five-member investigation committee was formed to investigate into the student's overall performance and personality, he added.
After classes ended at 5:30pm on Wednesday and the news of his disappearance spread, his guardians arrived with some 15 to 20 men around 7:00pm, said the principal.
“At one stage, they started assaulting Vice Principal Mashiur Rahman and the two guards with their bare hands and chairs. They left around 3:30am and later informed of Farhan's return over phone,” he said.
The injured Mashiur was still admitted to a private hospital in Kakrail, said Alamgir.
Iqbal said at one stage of the talks, people who had gathered around lost patience and carried out the attack.
“When we asked the school authorities about my son, they told me to come in the morning. Later, we searched every room of the school,” he said.
Ramna Police Station Inspector (Investigation) Md Mashiur Rahman said police were waiting for Farhan's recovery.
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