Will return for tests if two demands are met: Viqarunnisa students

Students of Viqarunnisa School and College are striking for the third day to press for a six-point list of demands after class nine student Aritry Adhikary allegedly took her own life due to humiliation by teachers.

The students say they will sit for their examinations if two of the demands – the resignation of the governing board and an apology from the school administration for the poor treatment of Aritry’s parents – are met.

Students have protested in front of the renowned educational institution on Dhaka’s Bailey Road since Monday, the day after Aritry’s death. Some guardians have also joined the demonstration.

The Ministry of Education moved swiftly after reports of her death surfaced, forming a committee to investigate the matter, sacking three teachers and suspending classes and examinations indefinitely at all branches of the school.

But the school board’s teacher representative Mushtari Sultana had said that the two days of year-end examinations would be rescheduled according to a decision taken at a board meeting.

According to the schedule, Thursday’s examination will be delayed to Friday and the Dec 5 examination would be postponed to Dec 11.

Aritry’s classmate and protest leader Anushka Roy said at 11:45am on Thursday that the demands must be met by the end of the day.

“Our first demand has been met. Three of the other demands are contingent on other factors. But demands five and six [the resignation of the board and the apology] are our main concerns. If these demands are met we will sit for the exams. Otherwise our protests will continue.”

Students gathered at the school’s main gate around 9:30am on Thursday, as they had the previous two days. Some guardians joined the protests. They chanted slogans and waved banners and placards.

Detective Branch police arrested Aritry’s class teacher Hasna Hena under instructions from the Ministry of Education after her father Dilip Adhikary filed a case alleging that she had been driven to take her own life.

Principal Nazneen Ferdous and Morning Shift In-Charge Zinat Akhtar were also accused in the case filed at the Paltan Police Station on Tuesday night. They have since been taken into custody.