Two teachers indicted, trial to start Oct 27
A Dhaka court yesterday framed charges against two former teachers of Viqarunnisa Noon School and College in a case filed over “provoking suicide” of ninth-grader Aritry Adhikary in December last year.
They are: Nazneen Ferdous, former acting principal of the school, and Zinat Akhtar, former morning shift in-charge.
Nazneen and Zinat -- now on bail -- claimed themselves innocent and demanded justice after Judge Md Rabiul Alam of Third Additional Metropolitan Sessions Judge’s Court read out the charges.
It fixed October 27 to start trial of the case and issued summons on the complainant to appear before it. The court also rejected the defence’s petition, seeking discharge of their clients from the charges.
Aritry was found hanging from the ceiling of her home in Shantinagar on December 3 last year, hours after she and her parents were allegedly insulted by some teachers of the school.
The next day, her father Dilip Adhikary filed the case with Paltan Police Station accusing three teachers of provoking Aritry’s suicide.
The death and subsequent agitation of students, joined by parents, rocked the 66-year-old institution and prompted the education ministry and the school authorities to form two separate probe committees.
Students boycotted classes and demonstrated for three days, and later withdrew their programmes upon assurance from the government that those responsible will be brought to justice.
On December 5 last year, detectives arrested Aritry’s class teacher Hasna Hena, 51, hours after she was suspended. She later secured bail on December 9.
The same day, Nazneen and Zinat were also suspended, following an education ministry order. They later got bail after surrendering before a Dhaka court.
Comments