Md. Habibur Rahman:
In 1863, Kumarkhali Government Girls’ School was established in Kumarkhali in Kushtia as the first women’s educational institution in Bangladesh and the third in undivided Bengal. A person named Krishnadhan Majumdar founded the school at that time.
Journalism pioneer Kangal Harinath Majumdar served as the headmaster of the school from January 1, 1863 to March 16, 1896. Although it has gained a nationwide reputation as the first women’s educational institution in Bangladesh, the school is currently falling apart due to various irregularities and corruption of acting head teacher Santosh Kumar Modak, assistant teacher Saeed Hossain and office assistant Akhil Ghosh. It is known that the number of students of the school is more than 1000. There is a complaint that Akhil Ghosh, the office assistant of the school, collects a fee of 14 hundred and 15 rupees from each student of the school on the instructions of the headmaster.
In this regard, the head teacher could account for a total of eleven hundred taka, but could not account for the remaining two hundred and ninety five taka. For which fees of 14 hundred and 15 taka are collected from the students: printing-175 taka, magazine-60 taka, sports-100 taka, cultural debate and various days-75 taka, religious events-puja-milad-75 taka, library-40 taka, Welfare Fund and Poor Fund-Tk 25, Computer-Tk 20, Agriculture and Horticulture-Tk 30, Laboratory and Laboratory-Tk 40, Common Room-Tk 30, Identity Card-Tk 50, Security and Night Guard-Tk 30, Fresher Welcome and Farewell Reception-Tk 100, Mosque-Tk 50, Medical Service-Tk 20, Miscellaneous and Accessories-Tk 200, the sum of these sums Eleven hundred and twenty taka, but fourteen hundred and fifteen taka is collected, where is the calculation of the remaining two hundred and ninety five taka? When asked about these expenses from the head teacher, he said that there are some other expenses including rover scout and red crescent which will be paid later on WhatsApp.
There are many things in these fees which have no trace yet additional fees are taken but according to the calculations given by them, the principal teacher Santosh Kumar Modak could not give any answer as to why three lakh twenty four thousand five hundred taka is collected and where it is spent.
The parents of several students who did not want to reveal their names said that there are many of us who have to live life very hard. We cannot accept such corruption in an educational institution. Locals strongly demanded to investigate and take action against these corrupt people.
In this regard, District Education Officer (Additional Charge) Mohammad Amirul Islam said, there is no opportunity to collect additional money except the fee fixed by the government, if anyone takes it, action will be taken against him. Even if we give the details of only one school, the incident is happening all over Kushtia district. The disbelievers demanded urgent action from the District Commissioner to prevent these corruptions.
