Headteacher Arrested, Faces Political Case Over Sheikh Hasina Government’s Teacher-Related Slogan in Tiny Letters on Banner

District Correspondent

Police have detained a headmaster in Saturia, Manikganj, for allegedly using a banner with the logo ‘We will build a country through education, Sheikh Hasina’s Bangladesh’ during a procession organized to mark World Teachers’ Day.

Police said he was later sent to court in a political case.

The incident took place at Tilli High School in the upazila on Monday, October 5. The arrested person is Abul Hashem Bhuiyan (48), the headmaster of the school. He is a resident of Kunia Union in Daulatpur upazila.

Police claim that Abul Hashem Bhuiyan is the vice-president of Kunia Union Awami League.

According to police and school sources, a procession was taken out by the teachers and students of the school on the occasion of World Teachers’ Day at the initiative of Abul Hashem Bhuiyan. The procession started from the school and circled various streets of Tilli Bazar.

At that time, a banner reading ‘We will build a country through education, Sheikh Hasina’s Bangladesh’ was carried.

Assistant Principal of Tilli High School, Sorhab Hossain, said that the principal himself brought the Teachers’ Day banner. After the procession, a discussion meeting was held in the school grounds. Teachers, students and guardians were present.

Later, the fact that Sheikh Hasina’s name was on the banner came to the attention of locals. They informed the police, who went to the spot, seized the banner, and arrested the headmaster and took him to the police station.

This very small logo on the banner is not something that would normally be noticed by anyone. Yet, the principal has been framed by mudslinging about it, said a teacher at the school who did not want to reveal his name.

Saturia Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Md. Mosharraf Hossain said that after investigating the incident, Abul Hashem Bhuiyan has been sent to court in a political case.

However, the police did not provide details on which political case he was sent to court for and what the specific charges against him were in that case.