Golam Rabbani, Gopalganj

The Department of Secondary and Higher Education (DSE) has issued a show cause notice within 7 working days as to why action should not be taken against Nihar Ranjan Baruri, the controversial headmaster of Kotalipara upazila in Gopalganj, as allegations of corruption and various irregularities have been proven.

On January 6, a show cause notice signed by SM Ziaul Haider Henry, Assistant Director (Secondary-II) of the Department of Secondary and Higher Education, was issued to headmaster Nihar Ranjan Baruri.

Nihar Ranjan Baruri is the headmaster of Pinjuri Union High School in Kotalipara upazila. The letter signed by SM Ziaul Haider Henry states that Nihar Ranjan Baruri, the headmaster of Pinjuri Union High School under Kotalipara Upazila of Gopalganj district, did not follow the applicable circulars regarding the cutting and auctioning of the school's tin shed and the trees fallen in the storm on the school premises, and the existing PPR was not followed in both cases. Which is a punishable offense as per Sub-section 18.1 (b) of the MPO Policy 2021.

The letter has directed Nihar Ranjan Baruri to respond within 7 days as to why action will not be taken against him as per the said Sub-section.

Kotalipara Upazila Secondary Education Officer Md. Siddique Nur Alam said that the former president of the school's managing committee, Kamruzzaman Talukder Chanchal, filed a written complaint with the Director General of the Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education against the headmaster of Pinjuri Union High School, Nihar Ranjan Baruri, alleging various irregularities and corruption, including embezzlement of school funds. In view of this complaint, the Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education (DSH) has sent a letter to the District Education Officer, instructing him to conduct a field inspection of the headmaster's embezzlement of funds, including various irregularities and corruption, and send an investigation report.

Later, the principal of Kotalipara Sheikh Lutfar Rahman Adarsh Government College was appointed as the investigation officer to send a report. The investigation report revealed his various corruption and irregularities. In view of this, the Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education has issued a show cause notice to the headmaster, Nihar Ranjan Baruri, to respond within 7 working days as to why action should not be taken against him.

Former president of Pinjuri Union High School, Kamruzzaman Talukder Chanchal, said that headmaster Nihar Ranjan Baruri has embezzled money by selling an old pucca tin-sed house, two tin-sed houses, a tin-sed mosque and a few trees of the school. We have also found evidence that he has embezzled lakhs of taka from the school through various irregularities and corruption.

We have filed a written complaint with the Director General of the Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education to take action against him in this regard. He also said that Nihar Ranjan Baruri is an incompetent headmaster. He received a commission from a publishing house and handed over guide books to the students at the beginning of the year. The students take their annual exams using the question papers provided by this publication. There have been cases of question paper leaks in many exams. Again, the exams have been taken using the leaked question papers.

Due to this, the students are losing their merit day by day. Moreover, he has misused his power and given the teachers of the school leave for taking immoral benefits. Which is completely illegal. We demand the removal of this incompetent and corrupt headmaster.

A guardian, on condition of anonymity, said, Nihar Ranjan Baruri is an incompetent headmaster. He was previously a teacher of agricultural education at Dharabasail High School. I think if we let him teach any subject to students from class 6 to 10, he will not be able to teach. We do not understand how this incompetent headmaster got appointed to the school. Therefore, we, the local people, want the removal of this incompetent headmaster.

He also said, we, the local people, students and guardians, demand that the relevant authorities take action against this corrupt teacher as soon as possible and save the school from destruction.

When we went to Pinjuri Union High School last Thursday (January 9) to talk about this matter, headmaster Nihar Ranjan Baruri could not be found. Even though we called his mobile phone, he did not receive the call.