Irregularities alleged against Savar school president

S R Joy, Savar

Allegations of arbitrariness and abuse of power have been found against Haji Md. Delwar Hossain, the president of the board of directors of Madartek High School of Pathalia Union in Savar Upazila of the district.

The allegations include employing favored persons to different posts ignoring the rules and the opinions of teachers’ and guardians’ representatives and donor and coopt members and even the head teacher, whimsical spending, not paying the teachers’ dues, and slashing the teachers’ salaries.

The victims of these incidents filed a written complaint to the chairman of the Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education, Dhaka on March 27 last, demanding the removal of Delwar Hossain from the post of president.

It has been found that President Delwar Hossain collected lakhs of taka from the students in the name of examination fees at various times. There is also a lack of transparency about how much money is being collected from how many students and in which sector that money is being spent. Although he collected money from the students in the name of practical, he embezzled it without paying the teachers concerned. Besides, it is also alleged that the physical instructor has been made assistant head teacher without following the rules.

Abul Kalam Azad, an ICT teacher at the school, said, “Although I was to get Tk 25,000 collected from the students for practical exams the president wanted to pay me only Tk 3,000 which I did not take. Besides, without taking the opinion of the purchase committee and without issuing a bill voucher, he bought various school items with the Assistant Head Teacher Hossain Ali. Tk 80,000 of practical exams has been withheld.”

A member of the school management board, who did not wish to be named, said, “Each recruitment circular has a duration of six months. After such a circular was published, he procrastinated as he could not employ people of his choice. Later, by republishing the circular and in the absence of the head teacher and the representative of the Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education (DSHE) DG, he took the recruitment test, and four people were recruited but it was canceled later due to corruption.”

“Desperate to employ in exchange for money, he again published the recruitment circular for the third time on June 18 last. This time too, excluding the people from the DSHE DG’s office, and by managing the education officer as before, he is employing candidates taking Tk 2 to 3 lakh taka from each candidate. Besides, Tk 1.16 lakh, which the board had taken earlier from students as fees during the corona Period, and asked to refund to the students, has not been distributed yet,” he also said.

Abul Kalam Azad, an English teacher at the school, complained, “The president has suddenly reduced our salary by Tk 2-3 thousand and increased the salary of fourth-class employees. He has also stopped the deposition to the provident fund. We did not get the festival allowance for the last two Eids. Delwar Hossain has been harassing and torturing the teachers in various ways since he became the president.”

Md. Mohibur Rahman, the head teacher of Madartek High School, said, “Without informing me, Delwar Hossain took away Tk 40,000 from the cash. Besides, he has withheld Tk 80,000 of teachers’ practical exams and Tk 1.16 taken from students during the Corona period. I asked him again and again to pay the money, but he did not listen to me. At present, I heard that he will employ the school staff in exchange for a huge amount of money but he has not discussed with me about this. Before this, he arbitrarily conducted the recruitment test abusing power, and to cancel it I submitted a complaint to the DSHE DG and forwarded a copy to the Dhaka District Education Officer, Savar Upazila Nirbahi Officer, and Upazila Secondary Education Officer.”

However, denying these allegations, the President of the board of directors of Madartek High School Haji Md. Delwar Hossain said, “I have no authority to appoint. The money will be returned to the students through resolution. All are the school’s income.”

Savar Upazila Secondary Education Officer Shahidul Islam said, “I have received the complaint about irregularities, corruption, and arbitrariness of the president. I will look into the matter soon and take necessary action.”