AL suspends leader over assault on Narail teacher

Sat Jul 2, 2022 12:00 AM Last update on: Sat Jul 2, 2022 03:56 AM

Akhter Hossain Tinku, a local Awami League leader and a teacher at Mirzapur United Degree College in Narail, has been suspended from the post of president of a local AL committee over the recent assault on the college principal.

He was also asked to show causes as to why he failed to act responsibly when college principal Swapan Kumar Biswas was assaulted by a mob on June 18.

Narail Sadar Upazila AL president Achin Kumar Chakraborty and General Secretary Omar Faruq signed the show-cause notice on Thursday, ordering Tinku to reply in three days.

Tinku, was the president of Bichali Union AL in Narail.

Tinku was the acting principal of the college for two years. The education ministry replaced him with Swapan about one and a half years ago.

Thursday’s notice said a communal and provocative incident took place at Mirzapur United Degree College on June 18. “Note that you are a teacher of that college and you were seen in the video footage. The acting principal of the college was forced to wear a garland of shoes, which is reprehensible and tantamount to humiliation for the teaching community.

“News is being published in various newspapers mentioning your involvement. That’s why you cannot avoid responsibilities, and we think you have failed to perform your duties properly as the president.

Contacted over the phone, Tinku said, “I am actually a victim of conspiracy. Some colleagues and certain Awami League leaders are out to partray me as involved in the incident.”

On June 18, violent protests took place at the college after a student allegedly expressed his support for the Bharatiya Janata Party spokesperson Nupur Sharma on Facebook. Acting principal Swapan was humiliated at the time.

The crowd set fire to three motorcycles, including one owned by Swapan. Police later took him into custody. Despite being surrounded by hundreds of police, Swapan was beaten by the crowd.

Five committees were formed by different authorities to look into the matter.