College principal hammered, forced to resign in Faridpur
A college principal has allegedly been hammered and forced to sign his resignation paper at Jadunnadi of Saltha upazila in Faridpur.
The victim is Obaidur Rahman, principal of Nabokam Pally College, while the allegation targets some students and outsiders backed by two influential figures of the area.
A video clip of the incident, which took place around 10:00 am on Thursday, is now making rounds on social media.
Anisur Rahman, upazila nirbahi officer (UNO) of the upazila, said the principal was thrashed in a terrorist style and was forced to sign his resignation paper. “It is not desirable under any circumstance. Legal actions will be taken following a fair investigation into the incident.”
Meanwhile, a group of students brought charges of extensive corruption and irregularities against the principal.
They also alleged that principal Obaidur did not back the students during their recent movement against discrimination and even moved the police to harass the protesting students. Since the downfall of the Sheikh Hasina regime, the aggrieved students have been demanding that the principal step down.
While talking to Prothom Alo, Obaidur Rahman said when he, along with his son, was entering the college premises in the morning, some terrorists, backed by Kaium Molla and Kamrul Gazi, took them to a nearby garden forcefully.
In collusion with some students, the terrorists hammered them there and made him sign his resignation paper, he said, demanding a fair investigation into the incident and justice for the torture he endured.
Kamrul Gazi is a member of the college’s managing committee, while Kaium Molla is an influential figure of the area.
Asked about the allegation, Kamrul Gazi said he has no idea about the developments as he was in Faridpur during the incident.
On the other hand, Kaium Molla said among the two groups active in the area, he leads one, while another is led by local Awami League leader Abdur Rauf. The principal moved the policemen to harass some students during the student movement, and the latest incident might be its aftermath.
UNO Anisur Rahman said he, along with the police and army men, went to the college campus on 1 September, when the students were holding a human chain, demanding resignation of the principal.
As the students’ allegations could not be substantiated, he settled the issue through a negotiation between two sides and the students issued a written statement to refrain from further movement, the UNO said, adding that the latest incident happened all of a sudden on Thursday.