BANGLADESH NEWS
At least 14 students at Kushtia Police Lines School and College were injured yesterday when they were ruthlessly caned by its principal for declining to attend the coaching classes run by the school authorities.
Of the students, three had to be admitted to a local hospital. The rest were given first-aid treatment at different clinics.
According to sources, the authorities have made it mandatory for the students of classes eight, nine and ten to take the coaching classes, monthly fees for which range between Tk 700 and Tk 1,500.
Since fees were burdensome for their parents, some students had declined to attend the coaching classes. When they came to school yesterday, Principal Abu Dadra Md Arif Billah ordered them to go to the classes for coaching.
But as they refused to comply, the principal started hitting them with a cane around 10:30am.
Three students -- Sajid Hasan, 14, Yaman Hasan Shovon, 14, Wahiduzzaman, 14, of class nine -- were admitted to Kushtia General Hospital and were later released.
Of them, Sajid suffered injuries in the left eye and neck, and Shovon in the arms and back, said Dr Tapas Kumar Paul of the hospital.
Alauddin Ahmed, an officer at Jibon Bima Corporation in Kushtia, told this correspondent that his son Mohaimen had told him about the coaching classes. “But I asked him not to enrol for coaching as I am unable to afford the fees,” said Alauddin.
Mohaimen is one of those thrashed by the principal.
After the incident, a large number of aggrieved guardians rushed to the school. But they were barred from entering the premises.
Contacted, the principal said he had given the students only a “mild beating”.
“I just showed them the cane to frighten them. But they are now pretending to be hurt,” he claimed.
In return for anonymity, several guardians said some teachers were threatening them over the phone that the students who had “created this situation” would be expelled from the institution if they talked to others about the matter.
On information, Subhas Chandra Saha, additional superintendent of police and also president of the governing body of the institution, went to the school and brought the situation under control.
“Action will be taken against the teacher if he is found guilty,” Saha said.
On August 9, 2010, the government issued an order banning all kinds of corporal punishment at educational institutions. The education ministry on April 26 last year announced guidelines to implement the order.
Earlier, the High Court declared corporal punishment “unconstitutional” and ordered the government to take measures against physical punishment.
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