Space For Rent
Friday, May 20, 2016, Jaistha 6, 1423 BS, Shaban 12, 1437 Hijri


Commentary
Thank you Minister for quick justice to humiliated teacher
Anis Ahmed
Published :Friday, 20 May, 2016,  Time : 12:00 AM  View Count : 30

It partly relieved us of a painful burden in our heart that Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid on Thursday announced cancellation of dismissal of the inhumanly humiliated Narayanganj school head master Syamal Kanti Bhakta and dissolved the school managing committee that terminated him.
The minister acted quickly responding to a national outcry over the beastly incident perpetrated by local Member of Parliament Selim Osman alleging the teacher of making derogatory remarks about Islam while punishing a student earlier.
However, the student later said Shyamal Kanti Bhakta did not utter any word against the Muslim faith. But that didn't restrict further action by the MP and his subordinate school managing committee, which sacked the broken-heart teacher adding to his unbearable agonies and shame on him. The revered teacher said to a reporter on Wednesday "I am a dead man though I am still l breathing. I have no face now."
The Education Minister said the probe committee formed to investigate the issue of teacher's humiliation did not find any truth of the allegations against Shyamal Kanti and that the school committee illegally terminated the head teacher.
On May 17, the school authorities terminated Shyamal Kanti days after he was publicly humiliated by Selim Osman for allegedly making remarks against religion.
As students, teachers, civil society and media, even some Ministers  and ruling party leaders  launched a strong campaign against the mortification of the teacher and demanded punishment of the perpetrators of the heinous crime, good sense prevailed on the Education Minister who ordered that Shyamal Kanti be reinstated as head master of the school and sacked the school  managing committee. These decisions have been hailed by all people in Bangladesh and restored Shyamal Kanti's lost dignity, at least to some extent.
But this is not enough given the enormity of the humiliation he had faced. People from all walks of life now demand punishment of Jatiya Party MP Selim Osman, and his brother Shamim Osman, a ruling party MP, the 'Godfather' of  Narayanganj.
. The notorious Osman brothers have a track record of endless corruption and abuse of power defying law and by 'buying' law enforcers to continue their criminal activities such as the much talked about Seven murders and Twaki killing in  their home town.
Despite widespread criticism and indignation over the murders the Osman family and cohorts are still free and remained outside the purview of law.
Even after the teacher was made to sit-up holding his own ears in presence of a big crowd and supervised by Selim Osman, the local thana OC said it was not a criminal offence. How dares he to say so while the Education Minister Nahid and Law Minister Anisul Haque both said the culprits would be taken to task and that the humiliation of Shyamal Kanti was a punishable offence.
Similarly, the local traders in Narayanganj defended Selim Osman and his criminality while rest of the country was in  uproar over the unprecedented disgrace the teacher had been subjected to. People of all walks of life, particularly the young generation, have burst into outrage with a unique protest "Sorry Sir", expressing their solidarity with the head teacher, who was humiliated by local MP.
 This again proves that the Osmans using their ill-gotten money and political influence made the district police, administration and traders  just pawns in their hands.
Meanwhile, the people are happy with the High Court rule against Slim Osman.
Now conscious citizens of the country respectful to law, wait to see when Selim Osman will be sacked as member of parliament or punished otherwise. The ruling party which strongly came out against the humiliation of the teacher now must make even a stronger move for actions against MP Selim and stand against his brother MP Shamim Osman so they will desist from all sorts of crime and excesses in future. The Osman family clams  Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's "blessings."  But it has been proved on many occasions that the PM did not hesitate  to punish anyone in her party or government who earned bad name for their activities.
People, especially in Narayanganj, are waiting to see what action is taken against Osman brothers.














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