Headmistress suspended for displaying Sheikh Mujib’s portrait

Shamima Yasmin, the headmistress of Sonarghop Romeshchandra Government Primary School in Nazirpur upazila of Pirojpur, has been temporarily suspended.

Nazirpur Upazila Education Officer Md Khondaker Jasim Ahmed confirmed the matter.

Sources said the decision was made on Monday following a preliminary investigation that found merit in the controversy surrounding the display of a portrait of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in the school office.

The headmistress defended her action, saying that displaying Sheikh Mujib’s portrait was not an offense but rather an expression of respect.

“My father is a freedom fighter. I consider displaying Bangabandhu’s portrait a matter of pride,” she said.

Officials from the Nazirpur Upazila Education Office are currently conducting a formal investigation.

The incident has sparked tension in the area. While one section of the teaching community has welcomed the suspension, others have expressed outrage on social media.

When contacted, the headmistress’s husband, Md Hafizur Rahman, who answered her phone, said, “An assistant education officer called my wife and told her there was a letter for her to collect from the office. However, nothing was mentioned about a suspension.”

Upazila Education Officer Md Khondaker Jasim Ahmed said, “Based on news reports published in various media outlets, we conducted an investigation and submitted a report to higher authorities. Following the preliminary findings, the headmistress has been temporarily suspended. The investigation is ongoing. If she is found guilty, departmental action may be taken, including permanent dismissal.”

The controversy erupted on August 3, when the headmistress put up a portrait of Sheikh Mujib on a wall of the school. Tensions flared across the upazila following the incident.

In response to reporters’ questions about the backlash, Shamima Yasmin stated, “I am the daughter of a freedom fighter. My father, Moinuddin Master, risked his life during the Liberation War. The architect of that war was Sheikh Mujib. Without him, the birth of an independent Bangladesh would not have been possible. That is why I will not remove his portrait from my school.”

However, facing mounting pressure, she was later compelled to remove the portrait.

Subsequently, under directives from the Ministry of Education and based on initial findings, the decision to temporarily suspend her was made.