Published : 11 Oct 2022, 03:14 PM
Updated : 11 Oct 2022, 07:14 PM
Students of Viqarunnisa Noon School and College’s Dhanmondi branch and their parents have ended street protests demanding a permanent campus at the location amid rumoured plans to close down the unit.
The demonstration started at the Dhanmondi-8 branch of the school on Tuesday and the protesters then marched to Anwar Khan Modern Medical College Hospital before blocking Mirpur Road, disrupting traffic in the area.
Principal Kamrun Nahar and some other teachers from the main branch on Bailey Road came to Dhanmondi and spoke to the demonstrators, who then lifted the blockade at around 4:15 pm, about four hours after it began.
Teacher Mustari Sultana from the main branch said the institution did not decide to close the Dhanmondi branch. “But we can’t establish a permanent branch here due to a lack of land.”
She said the institution was not admitting students to class one at the branch and the teachers were not being transferred. “Those who wanted a transfer have been transferred.”
Principal Kamrun Nahar, however, declined to give written assurances that the branch will not be closed. “Why do you need a written assurance when no decision to move the branch from here has been taken? Aren’t my words enough?”
She called for the parents’ help to establish a permanent branch in Dhanmondi.
Abdur Rashid Howlader, president of the school’s forum of guardians, thanked the principal for coming, but added the demonstration would have ended earlier had she arrived sooner.
He said they hope the branch will not be closed as assured by the teachers. “We will take to the street again if we see any efforts to shut the branch again.
Earlier, during the demonstration, a parent said they had been pushing against the closure of the school for some time. “That’s where my child gets schooling,” the parent said. “But there is now an attempt to close it. Why should it be closed? We have taken to the streets today to demand an end to this disgraceful attempt to shut the school.”
Another guardian said, “They say the branch is in disrepair and they are suffering losses of Tk 1.8-2 million every month on it. It has few students. We’ve heard that’s why they plan to close it down. We have been told to transfer our children to the other branches. But the school has not officially informed us of this.”
“Why do they need to shut down such a storied branch? If there are issues, those should be resolved. But instead of trying to find solutions, they are just closing it.”
Ikramul Ali, chief of Dhanmondi Police Station, said guardians were blocking Mirpur Road after hearing reports that the Dhanmondi branch of the school was to be closed.
“They say they will not move without a definitive response from the school
administration. We're discussing the issue with them.”
The Traffic Control Room reported that the protest was holding up traffic on the major Dhaka thoroughfare.
The Viqarunnisa School and College Dhanmondi branch was established in 1995. At the moment, some 1,800 students from classes one to 10 study there.
Guardians have been protesting the branch's rumoured closure for several days. They have also written to the education minister and distributed leaflets in front of the school.
A teacher, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said they would not speak about the matter because there had not been any 'official' announcements.
