Woman teacher who was beaten with shoes in Rajshahi suspended

Aleya Khatun, the woman teacher who was beaten with shoes at Daokandi Government College in Durgapur upazila of Rajshahi, has been suspended.

The directive was issued today, Sunday, after Muhammad Asaduzzaman, director of the Rajshahi region of the Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education, visited the college.

Aleya Khatun and the college principal, Abdur Razzaque, have also been instructed to submit written explanations over the incident within 24 hours.

According to local sources, organisers of a tafsir mahfil visited Daokandi Government College at around 11:00 am last Thursday. They were local leaders and activists of the ruling Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). At one stage during an argument, Aleya Khatun allegedly slapped two of them.

Later, Shahadat Ali, a fish trader and BNP activist, went to the college and became involved in a dispute with Aleya. Aleya claims she slapped him after he made an objectionable and offensive remark to her. In response, Shahadat Ali reportedly removed his shoe and beat her with it.

After receiving news of the incident, Shahadat Ali’s son Liton and an employee, Mahbub, arrived at the college and in a second round allegedly assaulted both the principal and the demonstrator.

Subsequently, 40 to 50 BNP leaders and activists reportedly came to the college, vandalised the principal’s office in a third wave of attacks, and assaulted both principal Abdur Razzaque and Aleya Khatun.

Asked about the matter, Muhammad Asaduzzaman said that when he visited the college, neither principal Abdur Razzaque nor Aleya Khatun was present, and both their phones were switched off. He later managed to contact them through alternative means and ordered them to submit explanations within 24 hours.

He further said Aleya Khatun, an MPO-listed teacher, had been suspended in the interest of an investigation arising from the situation. The Durgapur secondary education officer has been assigned to investigate, and the report was expected to be submitted by today, Sunday.

Further action will be taken on the basis of that report, as well as the explanations to be submitted by the principal and Aleya Khatun, he added.

Earlier, on Saturday, several BNP leaders issued a 48-hour ultimatum demanding the removal of principal Abdur Razzaque and demonstrator Aleya Khatun. They announced the deadline at a press conference held at a restaurant in the city’s Saheb Bazar Zero Point area.

Meanwhile, police are searching for fish farmer and BNP activist Shahadat Ali, who assaulted Aleya Khatun with a shoe. There is an arrest warrant against him issued by a court.

He entered the college last Thursday, when he was wanted by the police, and then beat the teacher after taking off his shoe.

A visit to the college this morning found that principal Abdur Razzaque had not come to work. Aleya Khatun, who was assaulted, was also absent.

It was not possible to contact principal Abdur Razzaque for comment. There are allegations that his mobile phone was broken and burned on the day of the incident. Sources at Rajshahi Medical College Hospital said he came to the hospital for treatment that day and later left.

Aleya Khatun said she is receiving treatment at a clinic after being released from hospital and is still not physically well enough to return to college.

Asked whether she would pursue legal action over the incident, she said a decision would be taken after she recovers, though they are in favour of taking legal steps.

Durgapur police station officer-in-charge Panchananda Sarkar told Prothom Alo on Sunday morning that there is an arrest warrant against Shahadat Ali and police are searching for him.

“He will be arrested as soon as he is found,” the police officer said. “Principal Abdur Razzaque and demonstrator Aleya Khatun have not yet filed any complaint with the police station.”