Molesting Schoolgirls: Probe finds headteacher guilty
At least five female students, from third to fifth grade, of a government primary school made allegations of sexual abuse against their headteacher in Kalapara upazila on Sunday.
The children made the allegations before upazila primary education officer who was conducting an inquiry at Omedpur Government Primary School after receiving a written complaint of molestation against Rezaul Karim, the school’s headteacher for nine years.
Abdul Bashar, acting primary education officer of Kalapara, said, during his investigation at the school on Sunday, he was convinced that allegations brought against Rezaul were true.
He also said he already submitted his report to district primary education officer for necessary action.
In the written complaint, a guardian of a fourth-grade female student alleged that a day before the Eid-ul-Azha vacation, after all teachers and students left the school, Rezaul asked her to shut windows and doors of classrooms.
At one stage, when the teacher forcibly made sexual advances to her, she tried to scream for help. But he handed her Tk 500 cash and asked her not to disclose the matter to anyone. Otherwise, he would fail her in exams.
Last Saturday, when a number of guardians confronted the teacher over the alleagtion at the school, he fell unconscious.
He was first taken to Kalapara Upazila Health Complex and later to Sher-E-Bangla Medical College Hospital (SBMCH) in Barishal.
Demanding action against the teacher and protection of the students from such abuse, many guardians said they stopped sending their children to the school as their children complained of being molested by him on various occasions.
Despite repeated phone calls yesterday, this correspondent was unable to reach Rezaul for his comments over the allegations.
Contacted, Mohammad Sayaduzzman, district primary education officer in Patuakhali, said, “I am yet to receive the report. I will take legal action after receiving it.”
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