Students of Monipur High School and their guardians are deeply concerned about the ongoing conflict between the present and past governing bodies of the school.

The current authorities have been blamed for corruption and malpractice by a section of guardians who are in favour of the reinstatement of former principal of theschool Sheikh SabdarAli.

The problems started during the beginning of this year when the current principal Belayet Hossain Shikder allegedly influenced the management committee of the school into retiring Sabdar Ali forcibly after he had been in charge for three decades.

"It was because of his strict principles and motivational qualities that the school could make a name," said a resident of Monipur area.

Under Ali, the 36-year-old school had been ranked fourth in the country and had also been awarded a number of times for having the best education system.

But on January 1, the management committee reportedly forced Ali into retirement.

"I still had one and a half years before my compulsory retirement age and they did not even give me a reason for my early retirement," said Ali who is fighting the matter incourt.

Some students and guardians said Ali had been discharged on political grounds. After Ali had been sent into retirement, Shikder took over as acting principal. But sources said the quality of education and the flow of admission seekers dropped after the change.

During the first week of February, Ali returned to the school after the court ruled in his favour against the retirement decision of themanagement committee.

"But the committee and Shikder did not want him back," saidaguardianoftheschool.

Things turned ugly when a group of enraged guardians took sides and damaged school property during a clash between the supporters of the committee and those in favour of Ali.

"Shikder was insulted and thrown out of the school by the students and their guardians, " said a student of the school.

Ali was in charge for the next one and a half months but he was not allowed to intervene in administrative activities. The management committee later appealed to the court again and this time they received the verdict in their favor and Ali was out of office again.

Ali complained that Shikder, with support from the committee members, had swindled a huge amount of funds belonging to the school in various ways.

He said that the current administration was even awarding promotion to failing students in exchange of 'donations'.

Ali also alleged that Shikder and the committee members were getting large sums of money from publishers by canceling out discounts that the guardians used to receive for purchase of books.

Students said the curriculums have changed and they have been given books designed for lower levels.

"The kind of exercises and lessons that we had learnt in Class Five are about to be taught again through the new hooks," said a student of Class Eight.

Students were also handed a lengthy syllabus just a week prior to their examinations.

"Most of the topics mentioned in the syllabus have not yet been taught in the classes," said a student of Class Seven.

Students and guardians feared poor results in the upcoming exams. Especially, students from higher classes, who are scheduled to appear in scholarship exams in mid-April are very worried.

The Monipur High School Parents Forum organised a human chain in Mirpur recently to protest the situation. Over 500 students and guardians participated in the programme from 1 lam to 5pm. A press conference was also organised later by the Fonun against the forced retirement of Ali, the changed curriculum and the mismanagement caused by the current administration.

"We do not want to see the reputation of a great school ruined by such elements who are in charge of the institution," said Golam Nabi, member secretary of Monipur High School Parents Forum.

"The press conference and the human chain programmes were all instigated by Sabdar Ali," said a staff belonging to the current administration.

Shikder declined to talk to Star-City when approached. He has meanwhile, filed a number of cases against Ali.

"I have received bail in two cases and still fighting another three,” said Ali.

Shikder has also lodged complaints against four persons — Golam Nabi, Shahidul Alam, Shilpi and Ahmed Mollah under articles 143, 386 and 506 with Pallabi Police Station, claiming they had collected tolls fromsome guardians.

"This is unnecessary harassment and it is being done to stop the protests by the Forum,” said Nabi.

Police have been deployed at the school as the current administration feared more protest