Kazi Zahidul Hasan :
Guardians and students on Wednesday criticized the Willes Little Flower School and College authorities for their role after stabbing of Suraiya Akhter Risha.
Risha, a class-VIII student of the school who was stabbed by stalker Obaidul in front of the institution at Kakrail on August 24 succumbed to her injuries at Dhaka Medical College Hospital on Sunday.
“Risha was stabbed in front of us. After the incident we first took her inside the campus for seeking help of school authorities. But they denied to do so saying that it’s a police case. Even they refused to arrange a transport for Risha to take to the hospital,” a fellow student of Risha told The New Nation yesterday, seeking anonymity.
The student said, later, we took her to a nearby hospital by a rickshaw. The on duty doctors gave her primary treatment. As her condition deteriorated further, they immediately arranged an ambulance and sent her to Dhaka medical college Hospital for better treatment.
Expressing utter frustration over the role of school authorities, he said, “It’s an utmost cruelty… we cannot accept it. The principal cannot escape the responsibility over the issue. He failed to perform his duty and he must go”.
Accusing the school authorities, Risha’s mother Tania Hossain said, “My daughters’ friends were crying for help when she was stabbed by Obiadul but they refused to do so. Even the principal of the school denied providing transport facility to bleeding Risha saying that it’s a police case and he cannot do anything in this regard”.
“Such irresponsibility of the authorities is inhuman. They must take all the responsibilities when a student is enrolled to their institutions,” she said.
A guardian alleged that most of the school and colleges in the capital minting money from the students without taking their responsibility. “Risha died due to negligence of the school authorities. They must be punished for such an inhuman act,” he added. He feared that irresponsible role by the school authorities could lead similar incident in future.
Rosy Rahman, a guardian told this correspondent that like Willes Little Flower School, most of the institutions are doing business in the name of education. They do not take care of their students properly and even do not concentrate on counseling about social unrest and safety and security.
“Every year they are increasing hefty tuitions fees, ignoring welfare of the students,” she added.
She requested the government to take steps to provide security around the Willes Little Flower School and other educational institutions in the city to avert further untoward incident. Many also blamed the role of guardians for their silent mood even after the brutal incident and irresponsible activities of the school authorities.
Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid said, it was a very pathetic incident. Negligence of school authorities would not be tolerated if they found guilty.
The ministry will investigate into the matter, he said.
He hoped that the killer should get capital punishment so that no one can dare to commit such crimes in future.
Brushing aside the allegation of negligence, Abul Hossain, the Acting Principal of Willes Little Flower School told The New Nation on Wednesday night that a group of teachers and guardians have been trying to defame reputation of the school authorities.
He also claimed that the school authorities provided all the necessary helps to send Risha to the hospital.
