Pabna, July 2 (V7N) – A suspended headteacher has allegedly continued performing official duties and signing attendance registers at a government primary school in Pabna despite a court order sending him to jail and his subsequent suspension under government rules, triggering allegations of administrative irregularities and official complicity.
The incident took place at Daribhau Danga Government Primary School in Sadar upazila, where Md. Jahurul Islam was serving as an assistant teacher and acting headteacher.
Local residents and guardians have expressed outrage, alleging that officials from the upazila education office and the assistant upazila education officer of the relevant cluster are indirectly facilitating the irregularities.
According to education office sources and court documents, Jahurul Islam was sent to jail after his bail was rejected in a criminal case (GR-243/26) filed at Court No. 1 of the Senior Judicial Magistrate in Pabna on June 3. Following this, the District Primary Education Office issued an order on June 9, signed by District Primary Education Officer Md. Ashraful Kabir, suspending him with effect from June 3.
Under the Government Service Act 2018 and the Government Employees (Discipline and Appeal) Rules 2018, a suspended government employee is not permitted to sign attendance registers or perform official duties at their workplace. During suspension, the employee is entitled only to subsistence allowance and must remain under designated administrative conditions.
However, a written complaint submitted to the District Primary Education Office on Tuesday (June 30) by local resident Md. Mansur Alam alleges that the suspended teacher has been continuing school activities in violation of Section 39(2) of the law, with alleged backing from upazila education officials.
A teacher from the school, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that all administrative functions should have been removed from the teacher following the suspension order, but no action was taken due to his position as acting headteacher and alleged administrative influence.
When contacted, Jahurul Islam admitted that he has been attending school and signing the attendance register even on Tuesday. He claimed he was attending with permission from the upazila primary education office.
Assistant Upazila Education Officer Shafiul Islam shifted responsibility to the Upazila Education Officer, saying he had been informed that permission was granted.
Upazila Primary Education Officer Shafia Akhter Opu confirmed that permission had been given, questioning the objections, and said: “He is not being paid salary. If he is voluntarily working without pay, what is the problem?” She, however, did not clarify whether such permission is legally supported.
District Primary Education Officer Md. Ashraful Kabir said that once a teacher is deemed unfit for duty and suspended, there is no scope for allowing him to work. He added that the matter would be investigated and legal action taken if any officials are found involved in irregularities.
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