MP advocates for corrupt principal despite SC order
Ignoring a Supreme Court order, Rajshahi Awami League lawmaker Ayeen Uddin has officially requested the education ministry not to take any punitive action against a corrupt and previously sacked college principal.
Ayeen sent a letter to the education secretary, dated February 23, 2017 requesting the official not to take any punitive action against Abdul Mannan, principal of Darusha College in Poba upazila.
The principal had been sacked for corruption and irregularities seven years ago, but was reinstated to the post five years later in 2015, following constant pressure from the lawmaker.
In the letter, the lawmaker from Rajshahi-3 (Poba-Mohonpur) constituency said any punitive action against Mannan would be "illogical". He made the request although only three days ago, on February 20, an Appellate Division bench of the SC rejected Mannan's appeal against his 2010 dismissal.
Following the letter, Nusrat Jabeen Banu, a deputy secretary of the ministry, wrote to the deputy secretary (legal) of Secondary and Higher Education Division on March 12, asking for opinions in this regard.
The college governing body sacked Mannan in July 2010 after an investigation found him involved in corruption. The Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education, Rajshahi (BISER) approved his termination on December 1, 2011.
The investigation, conducted by the Rajshahi deputy commissioner's office, found that Mannan got himself promoted to principal although he had achieved third division, both in HSC and BA (honours) examinations.
The probe report also said Mannan embezzled at least Tk 1.77 lakh in 1998-2009, got her wife appointed as lecturer with fake documents, enjoyed unlawful benefits and allowances, and recruited a teacher showing fake documents.
After being sacked, Mannan filed a writ petition with the High Court in 2012, challenging the BISER approval of his termination. The HC dismissed his petition on April 9, 2015.
Six months later, on October 8, 2015, Mannan challenged the HC verdict but the SC bench of Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha, Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain, and Justice Hasan Foez Siddique dismissed it too, on February 20 this year.
Meanwhile, on January 20 this year, Prof SM Wahiduzzaman, director general of Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education (DSHE), sent a letter to the education ministry, saying, "In no way can Mannan serve as the college principal". He also recommended removing Mannan's name from the list of MPO (Monthly Pay Order) beneficiaries.
Despite the facts, Ayeen in his letter claimed, "BISER approved Mannan's dismissal without verifying documents and going beyond its jurisdiction. That's why a writ petition was filed." He said, "Mannan was dismissed over a personal conflict".
“The Rajshahi education board gave a letter saying, there was no legal embargo on reinstating Mannan as principal, so any punitive action against him has no logic,” his letter said.
BISER Secretary Anarul Haque Pramanik last week said the board letter, signed by the then college inspector Torun Kumar Sarkar, had no legal validity. “The decision (Mannan's dismissal) was approved at the board meeting and the High Court's dismissal of Mannan's petition legally supports the decision.”
Contacted, lawmker Ayeen claimed that he sent the letter to the education ministry without knowing about the SC order.
He also said, "What should I do as a public representative if the entire family of an educated man (like Mannan) falls to my feet for saving his job?"