TDS Desk:

A Sylhet court has issued show-cause notices to Sylhet’s Deputy Commissioner (DC) Md Sarwoer Alam, and Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC-revenue) Md Nurar Zaman Chowdhury, over suspension of two school teachers.

The DC and ADC have been asked to explain within 15 working days why they suspended two teachers of the Sylhet Khajanchibari International School and College.

The two teachers — Abeda Haque and Md Rukan Uddin — were suspended on Thursday under a letter signed by DC Sarwoer Alam, also chair of the school’s trustee board.

The move came after the two teachers assumed the posts of vice principals on their own initiative and later circulated the announcement through the media.

Challenging the suspension, the teachers filed a case with Sylhet Senior Assistant Judge’s Court on Thursday. Following the hearing, the court directed the DC and ADC to submit written explanations, confirmed petitioners’ lawyer AH Irshadul Haque.

DC Sarwoer Alam said he was yet to receive the notice.

“The two teachers declared themselves vice principals without proper appointment, and I suspended them for violating service rules. Once we receive the court notice, we will respond formally,” he said.

The Sylhet Khajanchibari International School and College is one of Sylhet’s oldest English-medium institutions, and has faced a leadership vacuum for months, operating without a principal or vice principal.

On September 9, senior teacher Mujibur Rahman assumed the role of acting principal, while Abeda Haque and Rukan Uddin declared themselves vice principals.

In response, the DC issued suspension orders, stating that the teachers’ actions were “unauthorised and contrary to the institution’s service rules and regulations.”

Lawyer Irshadul Haque said that as a trustee-run institution, the school does not fall under the direct authority of the DC or ADC.

“They overstepped their jurisdiction by suspending the teachers. That is why we challenged the decision in court,” he said.

Meanwhile, on Thursday, another case was filed against the recently transferred DC, Md Sher Mahbub Murad, and five other officials of the district and upazila administration, alleging contempt of court.

Lawyer Irshadul said DC Murad had earlier appointed five new trustees to the institution without consulting the existing board. Despite a July 27 injunction order from the court, Murad and other officials held a meeting on July 28, prompting the contempt case.