Staff Reporter :
The High Court [HC] has directed the Narayanganj Chief Judicial Magistrate to transfer the General Diary lodged in connection with the humiliation of Headmaster Shyamal Kanti Bhakta to Dhaka Chief Metropolitan Magistrate [CMM] court immediately.
At the same time, the HC also ordered the authorities concerned to submit the judicial investigation report and other documents to the Dhaka CMM court. The CMM court has also been asked to take next course of action in line with the law.
A bench of the HC comprising Justice Moinul Islam Chowdhury and Justice JBM Hassan gave the order on Sunday after going through the judicial probe report on the incident which was produced by Deputy Attorney General Motahar Hossain Sazu.
In the report, there was no proof of demeaning of religion [Islam] by Shyamal Kanti Bhakta, the Headmaster of Piyar Sattar Latif High School of Bandar area in Narayanganj.
But the investigators have got proof that the Headmaster was compelled to hold his ears while performing squats as per order of AKM Salim Osman [Jatiya Party MP from Narayanganj-5], before being beaten on May 13 last year.
The investigators have reached in above findings after watching video footages. The MP, however, gave that order [squat with holding ears] following tremendous pressure of local people, the probe report mentioned.
Against this backdrop, the HC disposed of the suo moto ruling, which was issued on May 18 last year, and directed the government to give explanation in two weeks why legal action will not be taken against Salim Osman and others involved in the incident.
Meanwhile, the 65-page investigation was prepared taking interviews of 27 persons where many other relating documents were also attached. On January 19, CMM Sheikh Hafizur Rahman submitted the probe report to the HC as an affidavit.
The judicial investigation committee gave six findings. They are: (1) It was proved that Shyamal Kanti Bhakta had beaten Class-X student Md Rifat Bin Hassan on May 8 last year;
(2) There was no proof of demeaning Islam and Allah by the Headmaster Shyamal Kanti Bhakta;
(3) A group of 10-12 people led by one local Shansul Haq’s son Apu had beaten the Headmaster on May 13 last year;
(4) The same day, one or more unidentified persons had announced through a loudspeaker of a nearby mosque saying that the Headmaster demeaned the religion. It was an outcome of long-standing conflict between the members of school managing committee over garbing some development works;
(5) There was no proof that Salim Osman had slapped the Headmaster four times on the face storming his office on the same day;
(6) As per watching video footage, it was proved that Salim Osman ordered the Headmaster to squat by holding his ears. But he ordered this being severely pressured by local people, the probe report said.
