Lawmaker Golam Dastagir Gazi is allegedly controlling many non-government educational institutions in Rupganj of Narayanganj, where the educational system has reportedly collapsed due to massive irregularities.
Locals said an educational atmosphere is being hampered miserably in the educational institutions where students and their guardians demand free atmosphere.
Textile and Jute Minister Golam Dastagir Gazi has held many posts in the educational institutions and made his family members, relatives and political leaders chiefs in the institutions.
He has also become chiefs of the managing bodies of half of the non-government educational institutions in Rupganj, defying the High Court order that an MP cannot hold the post of the president of the managing body of a non-government educational institution.
There are also allegations of appointment of unskilled teachers, financial misappropriation and slow achievement in good results and participation of organisational programmes against the local lawmaker.
Locals said trading and other irregularities are going on in the educational institutions in Rupganj on the outskirts of the capital.
According to a high court order, a lawmaker cannot be president of any non-government educational institution which is totally violated in Rupganj, they added.
Sources said in 2009 the High Court declared illegal the approved governing body and managing committee of the secondary and higher secondary level provision 5(2) and 50 code of conduct.
As a result, no lawmaker can be president of any non-government educational institution or can be present in any special meeting of any governing body. But, defying the court order, lawmaker Golam Dastagir Gazi has become chief of about half of the educational institutions’ managing committees in Rupganj.
Breaking the law, the lawmaker has also made his sons Gazi Golam Mortoza Pappa and Gazi Golam Ashria Bappi and wife Hasina Gazi chiefs in many educational institutions.
Golam Dastagir Gazi and his family members have become presidents of 11 educational institutions’ managing committees and governing bodies out of 40 primary and secondary schools, 20 madrashas and five colleges in Rupganj upazila.
He has been president of the managing committees at Janata High School at Brahmankhali, Sattar Jute Mills High School at Trishkahaniya and Martuzabad Darul Ulum Fazil Madrasha at Mortuzabad.
His wife Hasina Gazi, mayor of Tarabo Municipality, is the president of the governing body at Rupshi New Model High School and College at Rupshi, Hazi Nuruddin Ahmed High School at Barpa and Tarabo Poura High School at Tarabo.
Gazi’s eldest son Golam Mortuza Pappa is the president of the governing body of Bhulta School and College at Bhulta and Nabakishalaya School and College at Chanpara and the president of Hazi Rafizuddin Girls High School managing committee at Kanchan.
Gazi’s youngest son Golam Asriya Bappi is the president of Hazi Ayet Ali Bhuyian High School managing committee.
Golam Mortuza Pappa’s mother-in-law Khadiza Mahtab is president of the managing committee at Gandharbapur High School at Gandharbapur.
According to the existing rules, the work and authorisation of the managing committees and governing bodies are collection of fund, appointing of employees, suspending and sacking teachers and employees and granting leaves.
Besides, the committees have the authorisation of signing on salary bills of the teachers and employees.
Almost all the administrative activities are done by the committee.
Allegations are also rife that the Gazi family shows interest in the work having way to be benefited financially instead of paying heed to improve the standard of education.
A recent report by the Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) says that principals, headmasters, assistant headmasters have no option but to pay kickback to be appointed in most of the cases.
The malpractice has also been raised against the Gazi family.
