Mizmizi High School in N’ganj: Final exam postponed for AL leader’s programme
A local Awami League leader of Narayanganj’s Siddhirganj yesterday arranged a “doa mahfil” and feast on a high school premises, halting the final exams scheduled for the day.
The incident took place at the Mizmizi Paschim Para High School and Primary School of Narayanganj, where councillors of various wards of Narayaganj City Corporation, along with hundreds of leaders and activists of local Awami League, Jubo League and Chhatra League attended, said witnesses.
According to an invitation card obtained by this newspaper, Yasin Mia, the Siddhirganj thana unit general secretary of AL and also president of the school’s management committee, organised the programme -- seeking eternal peace for “Bangabandhu and his martyred family members, martyrs of the Liberation War, deceased leaders and activists of Awami League, and my late parents and relatives”.
School sources said organisers took over the school premises from Friday night in preparation of the event, with cooking arrangements starting from yesterday dawn.
Preferring anonymity, guardian of a sixth-grader said, “Today was the final exam of English first paper, scheduled to be held from 11am.”
“Me and my son came to the school at about 10am and heard that the school authorities have cancelled the exam as a doa mahfil was being held that time,” he added.
On the same day, English first paper exams for seventh and ninth grades were also scheduled, according to a copy of the final exam schedule of the school obtained by this newspaper.
Guardians expressed grievance as the school authorities cancelled the scheduled examinations without any prior notice.
Father of a ninth-grader said, “There was no need to cancel the final examination. Open places, community centres and fields were available to hold such kinds of events. They could have chosen any other place. It is unexpected.”
Seeking anonymity, a teacher of the school alleged that Yasin Mia gave directives to halt the scheduled examinations. Headteacher of the school Saidur Rahman told The Daily Star, “The exams scheduled for the morning were held. Only examinations to be held at noon were rescheduled for December 12.”
Asked about the cancellation of exams without notice, he claimed that students were informed on November 28 about the postponement of the exam.
Asked why he had allowed the event to be held, he said “We did not tell them [organisers] anything as they told us that a doa mahfil would be held for Bangabandu and his family members.”
Yasin Mia could not be reached over phone despite repeated attempts via phone calls and text messages. At one point, an unknown woman identifying herself as a daughter of Yasin Mia picked up the phone. “I’m outside now and have my father’s phone with me,” she told this correspondent before hanging up.