<i>Chaos over principal costs students their exam</i>

Students of Charaikhola School and College move around helplessly as they could not take their second term examination yesterday due to a feud between school managing committee and local people.Photo: STAR

The scheduled second terminal examination of school level students of Charaikhola School and College in The Sadar upazila could not be held yesterday due to a chaos centring suspension of the institution principal.
On August 22 last year, the managing committee of the institution suspended principal Abdul Wahed for his alleged corruption and misbehaviour with the committee chairman and appointed Abdur Rahim, a teacher of the institution, as the acting principal.
Terming the suspended principal as honest and efficient, the students and guardians demanded his reinstatement and submitted petitions to local lawmaker Asaduzzaman Noor and managing committee Chairman Momtazul Islam in this regard.
Following students' demonstration on the institution campus demanding withdrawal of the suspension order against Abdul Wahed on Wednesday, acting principal Abdur Rahim filed a case with Sadar police station accusing Abdul Wahed, some students and some guardians for 'damaging properties of the institution'.
Yesterday morning, several hundred students and guardians accompanied by three members (out of eleven) of the managing committee gathered on the school campus demanding withdrawal of what they said the false case, and reinstating of the suspended principal.
Visiting the institution at 10:15am yesterday, this correspondent found that several hundred students and guardians were standing in front of the school building as the main gate and classes were locked.
On contact, acting principal Abdur Rahim, said, "I did not go to the institution today [Saturday] as the suspended principal's men gave me life threat."
“As per directive of the deputy commissioner (in charge), I served a notice postponing today's examination and it will be held later. The other examinations will be held as per schedule from tomorrow [Sunday],” he added.
Talking with this correspondent, three managing committee members, who joined yesterday's agitation, said suspended principal Abdul Wahed was a victim of conspiracy as he was vocal against irregularities of some influential local teachers.
Several guardians and locals echoed the same.
Contacted, managing committee Chairman Momtazul Islam said, "I am fed up with the situation. I shall submit resignation as managing committee chairman of the institution soon.”
District Education Officer Roksana Begum said she was talking to teachers, guardians and managing committee chairman and members to find ways to solve the problem.