An assistant teacher at a Lower Secondary School in Bhola's Charfasson upazila reportedly has been receiving regular salary and allowances for nine years without attending school.
Jannatul Ferdous Nupur, an assistant teacher at Char Newline Bangla Bazar Lower Secondary School in Mujibnagar union of the upazila and wife of the school's headmaster, Kamal Uddin, who allegedly has been covering up her absence by signing the attendance register on her behalf.
The school was established in 2000 and included in the MPO (Monthly Pay Order) scheme in 2010. Jannatul Ferdous was appointed as an assistant teacher in 2015 and became an MPO-enrolled teacher in 2017. However, she has not attended a single day of school since her appointment, according to allegations from the school committee and guardians.
Complaints lodged with the Upazila Secondary Education Officer and the Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) have reportedly been ignored due to political influence.
Headmaster Kamal Uddin himself is also accused of irregular attendance, often showing up only at the beginning and end of the month to sign the register. Allegedly, he also misappropriates development funds and reserves, as stated by the school's office assistant, Zakir Hossain. The headmaster's actions have created tension between him and the assistant teachers.
In a recent meeting with the teachers, Kamal Uddin reportedly assaulted the mathematics teacher, Md. Lablur Rahman, during a heated discussion.
Students claim that they have never seen Jannatul Ferdous at the school and that the headmaster is rarely present. Guardians have also raised concerns about exorbitant fees with monthly tuition ranging from Tk 550 to 1,000 and examination fees between Tk 500 and 800. Despite these financial burdens, no oversight seems to exist for the school's administration.
However, Jannatul Ferdous denied the allegations, claiming she pays Tk 5,000 monthly to two para-teachers to manage her responsibilities, citing the school's remote location as a challenge for regular attendance. She further alleged that the complaints arose due to her husband's political affiliation with Awami League.
Headmaster Kamal Uddin dismissed all accusations as baseless while Upazila Secondary Education Officer Md. Mohiuddin acknowledged receiving numerous complaints against him. He has advised the teachers to file a formal complaint with the UNO.
The Ad-hoc Committee President and UNO, Rasna Sharmin Mithi, assured that a thorough investigation is underway and appropriate action will be taken against both the assistant teacher and the headmaster.
