Dhaka, Bangladesh: The headmaster of Haji Moazzem Ali High School in Demra, Md. Aftab Uddin Chowdhury, has been absent from the school for the past 11 days, allegedly due to ongoing student protests. The absence of the headmaster has severely disrupted the educational activities at the school, leading to widespread concern among students, teachers, and parents.
The protests, which have become a daily occurrence, are driven by accusations against Aftab Uddin of financial irregularities, demanding excessive fees from students, misusing political influence, and other forms of corruption. Students and teachers have been staging human chains, protest rallies, and even work stoppages, demanding his resignation. On Sunday, August 25, another protest was held in the school courtyard, with both current and former students, along with their parents, joining the demonstration.
The protesting students have been vocal in their demands, chanting slogans like “One Demand, One Voice, Aftab Must Resign.” They accuse the headmaster of abusing his position during the current government’s tenure, allegedly forming a syndicate with a few teachers to engage in various corrupt activities. The allegations include collecting extra fees without receipts, embezzling money through fake bills, running a coaching business, and showing favoritism in the selection of scholarship students.
One student shared their frustration, saying, “The headmaster never took classes and mistreated anyone who stood up to him. He even expelled students as punishment. He also had a history of being rude to parents.”
The school’s governing body president, Shahadat Maulana, acknowledged the ongoing protests, which have been happening for the last 10 days. He denied any financial misconduct, claiming that no irregularities have occurred since he took over.
In response to the allegations, Aftab Uddin Chowdhury dismissed them as baseless and part of a smear campaign driven by personal vendettas. He claimed that he has been unable to attend school due to illness and that a group is trying to oust him to install another teacher, Nazma, as the head.
He insisted that everything he did was under the supervision of the school’s president, leaving no room for misconduct, and welcomed an investigation to uncover the truth.
The situation remains tense as students have threatened to escalate their protests by blocking the Demra-Jatrabari road and surrounding the local police station if their demands are not met.