Himu's Window

A court in Naogaon on Sunday sent the headmaster of Daul Barbakpur High School of Mohadebpur upazila to jail for his role behind the hijab controversy. Dharani Kanta Burman, the headmaster, appeared before the court of the senior judicial magistrate in Naogaon and sought bail in the case filed by Amodini Paul, the assistant headmistress of the school. The court heard from Dharani's lawyer and rejected his bail prayer. On April 6, Amodini scolded some students for not wearing school dresses during the assembly. The next day, around hundred locals laid siege to the school and ransacked its furniture blaming Amodini for scolding the students for not wearing hijab, instead of school dresses. Later, a committee, formed by the Mohadebpur upazila administration, investigated the incident and found some of the school teachers were involved in sparking off religious tension in the village by fabricating stories. On April 14, Amodini filed a case with Mohadebpur Police Station accusing five

The controversy surrounding a Hindu teacher in Naogaon was an attempt to cover up a long-running corruption by a small section of the school authorities, according to staffers. Amodini Paul, the assistant headmistress of Daul Barbakpur High School in Naogaon's Mohadevpur, was framed to look contentious by the section to prevent her from taking over from the school's outgoing headmaster, The Daily Star learnt after speaking with a host of staffers. The section wanted one of their own to succeed Dharani Kanta Barman as the school's headteacher but Paul was chosen on the recommendation of Mohd. Salim Uddin Tarafder, a lawmaker from Naogaon-3 constituency. Since taking over as the school's headmaster in 2011, Barman has indulged in corruption, according to the school's staffers The Daily Star spoke with. He misappropriated the student fees and interest income on stipend funds and traded on recruitment. In three village arbitrations held until last month, the headmaster