Departmental action has been initiated against a Bogura additional district and sessions judge who allegedly forced the parents of two female students of Bogura Government Girls High School to apologize to her by touching her feet.
A three-member probe committee was formed, led by an additional deputy commissioner (education and ICT), to investigate whether anyone else, including the head teacher of the school, was involved in the incident.
Deputy Commissioner Saiful Islam gave this information on Tuesday night after a discussion with protesting students, parents and journalists.
Protesting the insult of the mothers of two students, the angry students staged demonstrations in two phases blocking the road in front of the school from 3pm to 8pm on Tuesday.
The girls went back home after the DC took responsibility for the security and other matters of the girls.
The incident started following a Facebook post by the judge’s daughter, a student of class VIII, about cleaning the classroom.
Talking to the students, it is known that the students of Bogura Government Girls High School regularly sweep and clean the classrooms by rotation.
A few days ago, the daughter of Begum Rubaiya Yasmin, additional district and sessions judge of Bogra, enrolled at the school under a government quota.
The judge’s daughter was supposed to sweep the classroom on Monday. But as she is the judge’s daughter, she refused to do it, the protesting students claimed.
She had an argument with her classmates about this. That night, the student made a post on Facebook describing the students as slum girls.
Four female students protested her comment.
Meanwhile, after learning about the matter from her daughter, the judge asked the head teacher of the school, Rabeya Khatun, to call the parents of the students on Tuesday.
Four students and their parents came to the headmistress’s room at around 11am.
The judge who was there at that time threatened to send the students and their parents to jail under the Digital Security Act (DSA).
She also forced two guardians to apologize by holding her feet.
However, teachers claimed that the students and parents apologized after being frightened following the jail threat from the judge.
No one forced them to apologize by holding the judge’s feet, the teacher said.
When the news spread, the students of the institution started their protest.
Additional Deputy Commissioner (Education and ICT) Nilufa Yasmin came to the spot after receiving the news.
District Education Officer Hazrat Ali and Headmistress Rabeya Khatun were present also.
The ADC requested the girl students to return to the classroom after hearing about the incident.
However, the students remained steadfast in their decision to continue their program until they received justice. Road blockade continued till 8pm.
Later, Deputy Commissioner Saiful Islam and Additional Superintendent of Police (Traffic) Helena Akhtar came to the school.
The DC expressed grief over this unexpected incident.
He also formed the probe committee to investigate the incident.
The DC also assured the guardians that no case or harassment will be made against them in this incident.
At around 9:30pm, the parents went back with the children at everyone’s request.
Earlier, the students demanded the expulsion of the judge’s daughter from the school.
Rabeya Khatun claimed that there was a misunderstanding between the students.
There is a psychological conflict between the children of government employees and the children of private employees or other professions, she also claimed.
The judge’s daughter was supposed to sweep the classroom on Monday. She refused at first but later did the job, she added.
At that time, arguments and altercations started as others insulted her, said the headmistress.
They called some students and parents for this reason to hear details about the incident. “The parents got scared and asked for forgiveness by holding the feet of the judge. No one forced them to do this.”
The students blocked the road hearing this, she added.
Begum Rubaiya Yasmin, additional district and sessions judge of Bogra, could not be reached for comment.
