Dhaka’s historic Viqarunnisa Noon School & College has temporarily suspended teacher Fazilatun Nahar following “false” allegations related to hijab-wearing instructions.
The decision by the institution’s ad hoc committee sparked unrest at the school’s campus on Wednesday, August 27.
From morning until noon, students staged rallies and gatherings at the Bashundhara branch, demanding justice for their teacher. Demonstrators chanted slogans including “remove false allegations, restore the teacher’s honor,’ ‘justice for Nahar Apa,’ ‘teachers are the nation’s guides, protect their dignity,’ and ‘we want justice for our teacher, truth has no alternative.’ Classes were suspended while the students marched around the campus and nearby roads around 11:30 a.m.
The suspension followed claims that Nahar had asked students wearing hijabs to leave the classroom. The notice, signed by acting principal Majeda Begum on Tuesday, August 26, informed the teacher of the temporary suspension.
Protesting students defended their teacher, saying the allegations were baseless. Meher Afroze Konok, a 10th-grade student, said, “Our teacher is being defamed. She only asked students to follow the dress code, which is now being misrepresented.” Ninth-grader Rokeya Binte Majhar added, “Our teacher never prohibited hijabs. During the last period, panel students—working as volunteers—went to the class, and our teacher asked them to resolve issues outside. Those 8–10 minutes were twisted into a false allegation. We want our teacher reinstated and the conspirators punished.”
Former student Anisa Karim, who studied at the institution from 2009 to 2019, also voiced support, saying, “I believe these allegations are baseless. Not only Nahar Apa, but other teachers never said anything against hijabs. We demand a proper investigation and action against media and others spreading false claims against her.”
Fazilatun Nahar herself refuted the allegations, stating, “I did not force anyone out of the classroom. In that class, out of 22 girls, only 9–11 wore hijabs. I simply reminded them to wear hijabs when coming to school.”
When asked if her suspension was due to false allegations, acting principal Majeda Begum told Bangla Tribune, “She has been temporarily suspended. After completing the investigation and reviewing the report, we will decide on further action.” She added that the suspension was ordered by the school’s ad hoc committee.
