Salim Osman’s shaming Narayanganj teacher has embarrassed Jatiya Party: GM Quader

The Jatiya Party says it is ‘embarrassed’ by MP AKM Salim Osman’s action after he publicly shamed a school headmaster in Narayanganj.

“The whole incident is embarrassing. No such incident has ever occurred in Jatiya Party’s history,” Co-Chairman GM Quader told bdnews24.com on Monday.

“We had never received complaints of any leader or activist of our party humiliating someone this way. This issue has tainted the party’s image.”

Quader’s reaction came a day after Health Minister and Awami League leader Mohammed Nasim said Narayanganj-5 lawmaker Osman ‘should never come to Parliament if he has an ounce of shame’.

On May 13, Shyamal Kanti Bhakta, the headteacher of Piyar Sattar Latif High School at Narayanganj’s Bandar Upazila, was beaten by a mob and made to do sit-ups holding his ears in public by Osman for allegedly insulting Islam.

The incident sparked a storm of nationwide protest and the government dissolved the school’s managing committee, which had sacked the Hindu teacher following the incident.

Bhakta, however, was reinstated, while Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid said a government inquiry had not found any truth in the allegations levelled against the teacher.

Under-fire Salim Osman, a businessman-turned-politician from the powerful Osman family, had joined the Jatiya Party after his elder brother AKM Nasim Osman died in 2014. He was elected from Nasim’s Narayanganj-5 constituency in June that year.

Quader continued, “The incident has drawn massive negative reaction from the party leaders and activists. Many have called me in the past few days and all of them expressed frustration.

“None of them has ever seen something like this happening in Jatiya Party.”

Salim Osman has already declared that he would ‘never apologise’ to the teacher who he claimed had made disparaging remarks against Islam.

Osman has written to the Jatiya Party policymakers in relation with the incident. He has also spoken to Chairman HM Ershad.

“The chairman is yet to make an official statement. In the letter, he (Osman) explained his position over the matter. We’ll look into that,” Quader, Ershad’s younger brother, said.

Asked about their likely steps, the Jatiya Party co-chairman said, “The government has taken this seriously and formed an inquiry committee. A court has also issued a ruling on this matter.”

“We are yet to get the committee’s report. The party’s policymaking body will make a decision on the matter after getting the report.”

Quader said action could be taken against any leader or activist in line with the party constitution if they smear the party’s image or do something against the party’s interest.