Aritree suicide: Arrest warrant issued for two Viqarunnisa teachers

A Dhaka court on Sunday issued arrest warrant for suspended acting principal of Viqarunnisa Noon School and College Nazneen Ferdous and another teacher in a case filed over the suicide of a ninth grader.

Judge Rabiul Alam, additional metropolitan sessions judge court-3, passed the order after scrapping the bail plea.

The victim’s mother testified before the court in today’s hearing.

But the teachers were not present in the court. The court cancelled their bail as the accused did not take any step, said assistant public prosecutor Mohammad Salauddin Hawlader.

The teachers are- suspended acting principal of Viqarunnisa Noon School and College Nazneen Ferdous and morning shift in-charge of Bailey Road branch Jeenat Akhter.

Earlier on 25 November, the victim’s father Dilip Adhikari testified before the court.

Aritree Adhikari, a class-IX student of the school, reportedly took her own life at their Shantinagar residence in the city on 3 December after allegedly being rebuked by teachers for using mobile phone during examination.

Following the incident, Dilip Adhikari filed a case against three teachers of the school.

It sparked a wave of outrage inside and outside the school and students demonstrated on the campus for three days.

Later, the governing body of the school suspended three teachers—acting principal Nazneen Ferdous, morning shift in-charge of Bailey Road branch Jeenat Akhter and Aritree’s class teacher Hasna Hena—over the suicide case.

Police submitted charge sheet in the case on 20 March 2019 and the former trial started on 10 July last year.