Salim Osman also 'victim of rumour'
Police have found out the public humiliation of Narayanganj school teacher Shyamal Kanti Bhakta in May was an “unexpected situation” resulted from a rumour, according to a probe report submitted to the High Court yesterday.
In the second week of May, a video clip went viral on the social media showing how the headmaster of Piyar Sattar Latif High School was humiliated and forced to squat holding his ears in the presence of local Jatiya Party lawmaker AKM Salim Osman.
The police report quotes Shyamal as saying that both he and the MP were victims of a situation caused by a rumour.
The Daily Star tried to contact Shyamal to verify it. One of his family members received the phone call but declined to comment in this regard.
Following a nationwide outpouring of rage, the HC in a suo moto rule directed police on June 9 to submit a detailed report on the incident.
On August 4, police submitted a report to the Attorney General's Office, stating that they hadn't found any truth in the incident involving Shyamal. As some part of the report was handwritten, the AG office asked police to submit a “computer compose report.”
Moklesur Rahman, sub-inspector of Bandar Police Station in Narayanganj, who recorded statements of Shyamal and 10 others, said in the report that no legal step was taken since no allegation was brought against anyone in connection with the incident.
Shyamal told police that somebody on May 13 announced through a mike at the nearby mosque, that he had made an objectionable comment about Islam, at the time when the school's managing committee was holding a meeting. Within sometime, angry locals thronged the school.
“Some unknown angry people assaulted me. People of the managing committee tried to pacify them,” police quoted him as saying in the report.
Failing to quell the situation, members of the committee informed police and local representatives.
On information, the local union parishad chairman, upazila parishad chairman, upazila nirbahi officer and secondary education officials went to the school.
When local lawmaker Salim Osman reached the school, angry people were chanting slogans “demanding my trial and that I walk around wearing a garland of shoes.”
He was asked to squat holding his ears “to calm them [protestors]”, the headmaster told police.
Shyamal also said Salim Osman, MP, and he were victims of the situation that aroused because of a false rumour.
“I am not blaming anybody for the incident and I have no allegation against anybody. I will not file any complaint or case with the police or a court in connection with the incident.”
Receiving the police report from Deputy Attorney General Motaher Hossain Sazu, the HC bench of Justice Moyeenul Islam Chowdhury and Justice Ashish Ranjan Das fixed August 10 for passing orders on the issue.
A quarter, believed to be followers of the local lawmaker, spread propaganda that locals “punished” Shyamal for making offensive comments about religion while meting out corporal punishment to a student on May 8.
On May 29, the education ministry submitted a probe report to the HC through the AG office, saying the Piyar Sattar Latif High School committee forced Shyamal to resign based on an unproven allegation that he had hurt religious sentiment of the Muslims.
The allegation brought against Shyamal was not true, the probe body said, adding that relevant rules were not followed in suspending him. It also recommended that he should be reinstated.
Later, Shyamal was reinstated as headmaster of the school.
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