HC summons Motijheel Ideal governing body chief, principal; DC to head Monipur School committee

Issues related to mismanagement have plagued the two large and prominent educational institutions of Dhaka

The mismanagement of Motijheel Ideal School and College and Monipur High School and College is out in the open again with issues the two large and prominent educational institutions of Dhaka making headlines.

On Tuesday, the High Court summoned the governing body chief and principal of Motijheel Ideal, while the government appointed the deputy commissioner of Dhaka as the head of Monipur School’s ad-hoc committee.

The panel of Justice Zafar Ahmed and Justice Md Bashir Ullah ordered Motijheel Ideal committee chief Abu Hena Morshed Zaman and Principal Fauzia Rashedi to appear on Jun 1 and explain why they did not follow the court’s previous order.

After hearing a writ petition by Md Anisur Rahman, the third-place candidate for a membership of the school committee, the High Court on Dec 11 ordered the institution to appoint him as a member of the committee within 30 days.

Anisur filed the petition after the murder of second-place Jahidur Rahman Tipu, a local Awami League leader, said Moniruzzaman Asad, the lawyer for the petitioner.

The defendants, however, did not include Anisur in the committee despite the court order.

At Monipur school, the Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education, Dhaka, appointed the district’s Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Mominur Rahman the head of the ad-hoc governing body.

Alamgir Jamil is the representative of teachers in the committee while Zakia Shilpi will represent parents.

Amid turmoil at the institution, the board removed Md Farhad Hossain as the principal of the institution in September 2022. He held the post illegally for more than two years after the end of his retirement age, the board said.

An education ministry investigation also found Farhad’s appointment by the governing body was illegal.

The Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education then appointed Zakir Hossain, the senior-most teacher, as acting headmaster.

But the ad-hoc governing body, headed by Delwar Hossain, said Zakir was relieved of his duties as headmaster in a notice on May 17. It named Akhlaque Ahmed the headmaster.

Amid intense protests by the teachers last week, Akhlaque resigned and Zakir said he was still the headmaster. The teachers also came under attack allegedly by Delwar’s supporters.