Teacher held for ‘demeaning women’

Police yesterday arrested a schoolteacher in Manikganj for preparing a question paper that allegedly demeaned women and called for anti-state activities.

Mahfuzur Rahman, superintendent of police in the district, said they arrested Ibrahim Dewan, an assistant teacher at Manikganj Government High School, around 4:00pm upon directives from the deputy commissioner. 

Police are probing the matter, he said.

The SP mentioned that the arrestee, who was divorced by his wife three to four months ago, appeared frustrated and mentally disturbed.

Ibrahim claimed he had prepared the questions from a chapter of the textbook.

The schoolteacher also told this correspondent that he had a troubled relationship with his wife for 14 years.

Idris Ali Ajiji, head teacher at the school, said Ibrahim had prepared the question paper on the subject “Bangladesh O Bishwa Porichoy” for midterm examination for seventh graders. The exam was held from 8:00am to 11:00am yesterday.

The head teacher said he had cancelled the exam and fixed July 28 for holding the exam afresh.

A three-member committee was formed to probe the allegations, and it was asked to submit report in three working days.

The DC, Rashida Ferdous, told this correspondent that she asked the SP to take action against the teacher after receiving complaints from the mother of a student at the school.

She said the mother, Anjana Khan Mojlish, also an additional deputy magistrate, brought the matter to her notice after Anjana's seventh-grader son complained about the question paper.