Staff Reporter :
The High Court on Sunday ordered to conduct an inquiry into the incident of death whether the 10th grader of Banashree branch of the Ideal School and College died of anorexia and bulimia being bullied by his classmates and teachers.
The court asked the district education officer of Dhaka to conduct the inquiry and submit the probe report to the HC Bench in 60 days.
The HC Bench of Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice Md Mostafizur Rahman came up with the order with a ruling after holding hearing on a writ petition filed in this regard.
In the ruling the court wanted to know from the concerned bodies of the government to explain in four weeks as to why the inaction and apathy of the respondents in taking preventive measures to protect students from ‘bullying’ in educational institutions should not be declared illegal.
In the ruling it also wanted to know from the respondents as to why they should not be directed to formulate a policy or guideline to prevent bullying at academic institutions.
Secretaries concerned at the ministries of education, law and women and child affairs, district education officer of Dhaka, concerned upazila education officer, and the principle of Ideal School and College have been made respondents to the rule.
Tanvir Ahmed, a Supreme Court lawyer, filed the petition with the High Court on August 16 this year following a July 8 report published by BBC Bangla regarding the death of an Ideal School and College student who was as said bullied by other students.
He developed anorexia and bulimia due to bullying, according to the BBC Bangla report.
The High Court held hearing on the petition on Sunday and passed an order with a ruling.
Advocate Tanvir Ahmed himself took part in the hearing in supporting the petition, while deputy attorney general Bipul Bagmar represented the state.
Fazlul Karim, father of the deceased student, said, his son was overweighted and had to be bullied and ridiculed almost regularly at school by his classmates, also read the BBC Bangla report.
Citing the family of the teenager the report also said, the student of Ideal School and College was admitted to the United Hospital in Dhaka on the night of June 25 this year with pneumonia. He died at 11 pm the next day while undergoing treatment.
