Staff Reporter :
The High Court on Wednesday declared that members of parliament (MPs) will no longer be the head of the governing bodies of private schools and colleges.
A High Court bench comprising Justice Jinat Ara and Justice AKM Jahirul Huq delivered the verdict following a writ petition filed by Supreme Court lawyer Yunus Ali Akand challenging the legality of the provision.
Responding to the writ petition of Advocate Yunus Ali Akand, the High Court scrapped the sections 5 and 50 Non-government School and College Governing Body Regulation 2009 that allow the law makers to hold the posts of chairman in the governing bodies of the educational institutions.
The court also scrapped the special governing committee of Viqarunnisa Noon School and College led by lawmaker Rashed Khan Menon. However, the court said that the members of existing governing body of the college led by the lawmaker will hold their post until their tenure expires.
In his petition, Akand mentioned that section 5 (member of the parliament) and section 50 (special committee) of Secondary and Higher Secondary School Committee are contradictory with section 39(2)(4) of the provision.
According to the Secondary and Higher Secondary provision 39 (2) of 1961, a board of managing committee will be formed to regulate the school but there was no provision to elect a lawmaker to be the chairman of the governing body of the institution.
Meanwhile, practicing muscle power the local lawmakers become the chairman of four schools or colleges bodies. They formed a syndicate by issuing D.O. Letter to other educational institutions to appoint their selected party people as the head of the school committee. This ill practice of appointing party people occur misappropriation of school fund, alleged the writ petition.
Though repeated attempt were made to stop this practice, the local political figures are so powerful that neither the school committee nor the guardians can stand before them, said Advocate Akand.
