VNSC students threaten demo until their teacher released

Staff Correspondent: A group of students of Viqarunnisa Noon School and College (VNSC) threatened to continue the demonstration until their teacher Hasna Hena, who was arrested in a case filed over “provoking the suicide” of ninth-grader Aritree Adhikary on Wednesday, is released.

They also threatened to boycott classes from Sunday if their demand is not met.

The students made the threats during a demonstration in front of their school gate on Saturday.

Sumaiya Mahmud Mrittika, an eleventh grader of the school, said, “We did not find any involvement of our teacher Hasna Hena in CCTV footage and in other ways. Those who have been identified as prime accused in the case were not arrested. Protesting this, we are continuing demonstration demanding the release of our teacher and the movement will continue until she is released. Side by side, we have decided to boycott classes and examinations.”

Earlier on Thursday (December 6), a Dhaka court sent Hasna Hena to jail after rejecting her bail in a case filed for provoking Aritree Adhikary, a ninth-grader of the school, to commit suicide.

Aritree Adhikary, a ninth grader, was found hanging from the ceiling of her home in the capital's Shantinagar on Monday (December 3) hours after she and her parents were allegedly insulted by some teachers of the school.

The death and the subsequent agitation, joined by parents, rocked the 66-year-old institute and prompted the education ministry and the school authorities to form two separate probe committees.

Aritree’s father filed the case with Paltan Police Station against the school’s principal Nazneen Ferdous, morning shift -in-charge Zinnat Ara and class teacher Hasna Hena on December 4.


risingbd/Dhaka/Dec 8, 2018/Yeamin/AI