Punish sexual abuser PTI instructors
Women teachers of primary schools have been being sexually harassed by instructors during their training at Primary Teachers Training Institute (PTI). When the teachers should be the epitome of ideal for society and particularly for the students, this shows the degradation of our values. An instructor tried to commit suicide out of guilt as he witnessed the abuses. He pleaded to the prime minister on a Facebook post before attempting suicide taking sleeping pills on Friday. However, he is now out of danger after treatment. “Four of my colleagues were sexually abusing the trainees before my eyes, but I couldn’t do anything,” he said.
After the attempted suicide of the instructor, Debabrata Barua, the trainees became vocal about the abuses. Boycotting their classes they held a demonstration demanding trial of the four instructors — Faruk Hossain, Sabuj Kanti Acharya, Jasim Uddin and Rabiul Islam. The four accused, however, denied the allegations. The allegations were raised not only by an instructor, but by 50 female trainees of the institute. No trainees can raise serious allegations against an instructor unless s/he is actually abused and insulted.
The district administration and education department formed two committees over the sexual abuses at PTI. The committee formed by the district commission has just visited the site. It will take time for them to finish the probe. The other committee, led by Rasheda Begum, assistant director of education department, submitted its report in a day. The issue of sexual abuse is absent in the inquiry. It was argued that the investigation must be carried out by education ministry as the four accused were first class gazetted officers. Then why was the probe committee formed under the education department? It would diminish the seriousness of the principal accusation. Why making such a farce when the PTI is in a deadlock and the trainees are staging demonstrations?
How will the accused be scrutinised if there is no proper investigation? It does not prove the instructors' innocence that no one had opened up for long. The authorities have withdrawn the four accused, but it was not a punishment. If stern actions are not taken, they should at least be temporarily suspended for the time being.
The High Court in 2009 had issued a directive regarding prevention of sexual abuses at the educational institutions. It asked every educational institution to from a sexual abuse prevention committee, but it was not followed by most of the institutions. Committees that were formed are not active either. The government must intervene and ensure such committees function at the educational institutions.