Lakehead school reopening order stayed for 10 days

The Supreme Court on Sunday extended a stay order for 10 more days on the High Court order that had directed the authorities concerned to reopen all the branches of Lakehead Grammar School in the capital, reports UNB.

A five-member Appellate Division bench led by acting chief justice Abdul Wahhab Miah passed the order.

The court also asked the state counsel to file a regular leave to appeal to the Appellate Division against the High Court order.

Earlier in the day, attorney general Mahbubey Alam placed an intelligence report about the Lakehead Grammar School to the apex court.

Barrister AF Hasan Arif and barrister Akter Imam represented the Lakehead Grammar School during the hearing.

On 16 November, chamber judge Syed Mahmud Hossain stayed until 19 November the High Court order for reopening the Lakehead Grammar School after hearing an appeal of the government filed by the attorney general.

The court also sent the matter to the regular bench of the Appellate Division for hearing.

On 14 November, a High Court bench ordered the authorities to reopen all the branches of the school within 24 hours.

The HC, on 7 November, issued a rule asking the government to explain why suspension of academic activities of the three branches of the school would not be declared illegal.

Barrister Rashna Imam filed three writ petitions on behalf of Khaled Hasan Matin, new owner of the school and guardians of 12 students of the school.

On 6 November, the government suspended the academic functions of Lakehead Grammar School at Dhanmondi branch and two other branches at Gulshan on charges of patronising religious extremism and militancy.

According to the education ministry, the school was running without taking approval from the ministry.