Lakehead School must form new governing board including military officials

The Supreme Court’s Appellate Division has ordered Lakehead Grammar School, which has closed following accusations of promoting militancy and religious extremism, to form a new governing body in seven days.

The board will be formed under the care of the Ministry of Education and be chaired by the Dhaka divisional commissioner. The school must also include officials from the military education corps amid the board members. The principal will also be a member of the armed forces.

A five-member bench led by acting Chief Justice Md Abdul Wahhab Miah made the decision on Tuesday after hearing the state’s appeal to challenge a High Court order to reopen the school.

“We hope the school can be reopened if the committee is formed within seven days,” Barrister Rashna Imam, who represented the owner of the school and the guardians of some students, told the media after the hearing.

On Nov 6, the education ministry ordered the Dhaka district administration to shut the school.

The next day, a police team led by a magistrate shut down the school’s branches in Dhanmondi and Gulshan.

The ministry says the school was patronising anti-state activities.

An education ministry official told bdnews24.com that the government probed some directors and teachers of the school after receiving complaints over their militancy links.

The investigators found the allegations true, the official said, requesting anonymity as he was not authorised to speak to the media over the issue.

One of the owners of the schools and several parents moved the High Court against the decision filing three separate petitions and secured a decision in their favour on Nov 14.

The state challenged the decision and the chamber judge stayed the High Court order on Nov 15 and transferred the matter over to the Appellate Division.