'Punish killers of headmaster in Netrakona'

Hundreds of teachers brought out a procession at Kalmakanda upazila headquarters in Netrakona yesterday demanding arrest and punishment of  the cuprits who assaulted a headmaster, which led to his death on Sunday.

The deceased, Delwar Hossain Saydee Dulal, 50, was headmaster of Udoypur Mitali High School in Kalmakanda.

Teachers of all institutions from primary to college level joined the rally under the banner of Bangladesh Shikkhak Samity Kalmakanda upazila unit.

No classes and examinations were held in the upazila, said Kamrun Nahar, president of the platform.

“We will continue the agitation until the accused are arrested,” she said, adding that classes and exams will resume from Wednesday.

Elias Hossain, Nishikanta Jumbil, Ataur Rahman, Shamima Nargis, Probir Kumar Sarker, Mahtab Uddin Mohsin, Mozammel Haque and Maulana Abul Kashem addressed the rally, among others.

Later, they submitted a memorandum to the upazila nirbahi officer (UNO).

Quoting teachers, police said the headmaster asked Maruf Ahmed, a seventh grade student of the school, to pay his dues and half-yearly examination fees for the scheduled examinations on Sunday morning.

On hearing this, Maruf's father Chand Mia, a rent-a-bike driver, and some of his relatives went to Delwar's office and punched him several times on his chest.

Delwar was taken to Kalmakanda Upazila Health Complex and then to Mymensingh Medical College Hospital, where he died on Sunday night, police said.

“I lost everything and the future of the family, including two school students, looks dark,” said victim's wife Khadija Akhter Lovely.

“I want exemplary punishment of those involved in the killing,” Lovely added.

“My husband told me about internal grouping among the teachers in the school, and some group might be behind the incident,” she alleged.

Upazila Secondary Education Officer Mohammad Nura Alam urged the police to arrest the culprits soon.

School Managing Committee President Monayeem Talukder denied any grouping among teachers.

Victim's younger brother Alal Uddin lodged a murder case with Kalmakanda Police Station, accusing eight people including Chand Mia, on Monday, but no one has been arrested yet, said Kalmakanda Police Station OC AKM Mizanur Rahman.

The accused left the area after the incident but police drives are on to arrest them, the OC said.