Acting Headmaster Resigns Under Student Pressure Following Alleged Harassment in Bagha School

BAGHA, Rajshahi — The acting headmaster of a secondary school in Bagha, Rajshahi, resigned on Sunday following intense student protests over allegations of sexual harassment. The situation escalated into a public confrontation where students pelted the educator with eggs and bricks before police intervened to take him into protective custody.

The resignation was submitted to the president of the school’s management committee on Sunday afternoon. In the signed statement, the acting headmaster declared his decision to step down from his post voluntarily, stating he acted without external coercion.

Speaking on the incident, the acting headmaster claimed he was the victim of a conspiracy and asserted that the allegations against him were false. He stated that he had been absent from duty since August 5 due to his wife’s illness and was surrounded by protesting students upon his arrival at the school on Sunday. He alleged that none of his colleagues came to his defense, forcing him to resign under extreme pressure.

The protest was fueled by an account from a tenth-grade student, who alleged that the acting headmaster had grabbed her hand approximately one and a half months ago when she went to pay her examination fees. The student claimed she retaliated by slapping him before he attempted to force her into a room. According to the student, she reported the incident to two female teachers at the time, but they suppressed the matter, eventually causing the information to spread among the student body.

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By Sunday morning, students had gathered at the school to demonstrate against the educator, at one point preparing a garland of shoes to place around his neck while chanting slogans demanding his removal.

Member of Parliament for Rajshahi-6, Abu Sayed Chand, arrived at the scene to address the unrest. After hearing the victim’s account, the MP identified the two teachers who had allegedly suppressed the report. He subsequently issued a directive for the immediate suspension of one of those teachers.

Upazila Secondary Education Officer Abu Zafar confirmed that the acting headmaster had resigned of his own volition. Regarding the disciplinary action against the assistant teacher, Zafar noted that the school’s management committee would initiate the necessary legal procedures.