Man forcibly cuts students' hair in school

The man who went to a Faridpur school, claiming to be the “assistant personal secretary to the state minister for expatriate welfare”, and cut the hair of at least five students on Wednesday was apparently troubled.

There is no state minister for expatriate welfare.

Pranab Kumar Ghosh, upazila nirbahi officer of Bhanga upazila in Faridpur, told The Daily Star yesterday that a three-member investigation committee, led by the upazila secondary education officer Abdur Rahim, visited Bhanga Pilot High School to investigate the matter.

Quoting Rahim, UNO Pranab said Sheikh Bappy Elahi entered the school around 1:30pm introducing himself as the APS of the non-existent state minister.

Bappy went to different classes and got angry as some boys had long hair, added Pranab. He brought in a pair scissors and cut the hair of five students, which angered teachers and students, the UNO said.

“I talked to Bappy over the phone and he admitted that his identity was fake,” said Pranab, adding, “In his locality the man is known to have mental problems.”

Mohammad Haider Hossain, headmaster of the school, said Bappy had visited the school three or four times before introducing himself as the APS of the state minister for expatriate welfare.

“We did not know that there was no such portfolio,” he said, adding, “We drove him out of the school and asked him not to come again after students protested the cutting of their hair.”

Officer-in-Charge Syed Abdullah of Bhanga Police Station said he had heard about the incident but nobody filed a complaint with the police station.

A few locals, however, claimed that over 200 students of the school had their hair cut by Bappy.

The Daily Star could neither reach Bappy nor Abdur Rahim for comments.

UNO Pranab said his office has instructed educational institutions of the upazila not to allow unknown people to enter their institutions.

“Besides, I have also said that it is the school authorities who will monitor whether students abide by school rules. No one from outside will interfere in this regard,” added the UNO.