Lions Club running Saidpur instt illegally

Charges of irregularities against governing body of sunflower school & college

Lions Club allegedly grabbed Sunflower School and College at Saidpur in Nilphamari district in 2006, and since then the institution has been plagued by gross irregularities and large-scale corruption. Founded in 1991 on 0.7 acres of land bestowed by then deputy commissioner (DC) of Nilphamari, the school was upgraded as a college in 2003, and it was granted Monthly Pay Order (MPO) for secondary level in 1999 and for higher secondary level in 2004.
Protesting against the transfer of the institution to a governing body run by the Lions Club of Saidpur Sunflower and the rampant corruption, local people, including guardians of students, organised a human chain, circulated leaflets and took other steps, but nothing happened. Local police intervened when the protesting people and the institution authorities and their men became involved in a potentially violent conflict. The governing body of the institution is being run for years by a selected committee after getting permission from the education board in Dinajpur. Objections have been raised against the governing body as it is being run by the Lions Club of Saidpur Sunflower, headed by Aminul Haq who has been holding the post for many years.
Moreover, Aminul Haq formed the Leo Club of Sunflower Saidpur City, with his daughter, son-in-law and other family members for which, the local people think, Aminul’s family members can take hold of the institution in his absence in the future.
Earlier, an audit inspection team from the education ministry, in its report, said that the governing body had indeed misappropriated government funds. It declared the appointment of the college principal illegal and ordered the college authorities to return the funds, but to no avail.
In addition, the governing body made a fake MPO sheet, where the name of a teacher appears twice for withdrawing double the amount from the local Sonali Bank. The bank manager said this corruption came to light during auditing of the MPO sheet last December. The bank authorities sent letters to the relevant persons, asking them to return the money.     
When in January this year the principal of the college, for the first time, urged the teachers to surrender their MPO cheques to the college authorities, they sensed a conspiracy that the authorities might one day take the final step to cancel the government’s MPO grant itself.
The teachers held a meeting and adopted a resolution that they would never surrender their MPO to the government on the pretext of institutional solvency, even if the authorities put any kind of pressure on them.    
Under these circumstances, local people submitted a letter of complaint to the Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education, Dinajpur, on May 24, seeking cancellation of the existing governing body and formation of a regular governing body.
“The Sunflower School and College, Saidpur, was being run by a regular managing/governing body from 1991 to 2006. But, unfortunately, Aminul Haq formed the Lions Club of Saidpur Sunflower with the permission of the Lions Foundation and grabbed the college in connivance with the local administration,” the letter said.
The letter even alleged that Haq appointed a principal illegally, though there was a legally appointed headmaster.
The chairman of the Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education, Dinajpur, Prof. Ahmed Hossain, told The Independent that he had received the letter of complaint and would take action.
“We've got the letter. An inspection team will visit the Sunflower School and College within a short time. Action will be taken after the investigation report is submitted,” he said.
As per the Governing Body and Managing Committee Rules, 2009, there is no provision to transfer a body/committee of an educational
institution to any organisation to conduct its activities.
About formation of the governing body/managing committee, Provisions 4 and 7 mention that elections have to be held for the body/committee. Provision 49 of the rules says institutions run by trust, missionary, education society, cantonment, municipality, city corporation, railway university, board or any such organisation can form a special governing body or managing committee.
Provision 50 stipulates whatever is said in 4, 7 and 49, a special type of governing body or managing committee can be formed in a "special situation" with prior permission from the board and government.
Aminul Haq told The Independent yesterday (Wednesday) that he transferred the governing body to the Lions Club by citing "funds crisis" of the institution. But his claim does not cover the above provisions which do not say anything about transferring an institution to any organisation. “I transferred the governing body to the Lions Club for funds crisis,” he said.
His pretext was that if the governing body is transferred back to the general body, it would face funds crisis again.
But general people alleged that this institution charges exorbitant fees despite being an MPO organisation.

 

Lions Club running Saidpur instt illegally

Charges of irregularities against governing body of sunflower school & college

Lions Club allegedly grabbed Sunflower School and College at Saidpur in Nilphamari district in 2006, and since then the institution has been plagued by gross irregularities and large-scale corruption. Founded in 1991 on 0.7 acres of land bestowed by then deputy commissioner (DC) of Nilphamari, the school was upgraded as a college in 2003, and it was granted Monthly Pay Order (MPO) for secondary level in 1999 and for higher secondary level in 2004. Protesting against the transfer of the institution to a governing body run by the Lions Club of Saidpur Sunflower and the rampant corruption, local people, including guardians of students, organised a human chain, circulated leaflets and took other steps, but nothing happened. Local police intervened when the protesting people and the institution authorities and their men became involved in a potentially violent conflict. The governing body of the institution is being run for years by a selected committee after getting permission from the education board in Dinajpur. Objections have been raised against the governing body as it is being run by the Lions Club of Saidpur Sunflower, headed by Aminul Haq who has been holding the post for many years. Moreover, Aminul Haq formed the Leo Club of Sunflower Saidpur City, with his daughter, son-in-law and other family members for which, the local people think, Aminuls family members can take hold of the institution in his absence in the future. Earlier, an audit inspection team from the education ministry, in its report, said that the governing body had indeed misappropriated government funds. It declared the appointment of the college principal illegal and ordered the college authorities to return the funds, but to no avail. In addition, the governing body made a fake MPO sheet, where the name of a teacher appears twice for withdrawing double the amount from the local Sonali Bank. The bank manager said this corruption came to light during auditing of the MPO sheet last December. The bank authorities sent letters to the relevant persons, asking them to return the money. When in January this year the principal of the college, for the first time, urged the teachers to surrender their MPO cheques to the college authorities, they sensed a conspiracy that the authorities might one day take the final step to cancel the governments MPO grant itself. The teachers held a meeting and adopted a resolution that they would never surrender their MPO to the government on the pretext of institutional solvency, even if the authorities put any kind of pressure on them. Under these circumstances, local people submitted a letter of complaint to the Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education, Dinajpur, on May 24, seeking cancellation of the existing governing body and formation of a regular governing body. The Sunflower School and College, Saidpur, was being run by a regular managing/governing body from 1991 to 2006. But, unfortunately, Aminul Haq formed the Lions Club of Saidpur Sunflower with the permission of the Lions Foundation and grabbed the college in connivance with the local administration, the letter said. The letter even alleged that Haq appointed a principal illegally, though there was a legally appointed headmaster. The chairman of the Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education, Dinajpur, Prof. Ahmed Hossain, told The Independent that he had received the letter of complaint and would take action. Weve got the letter. An inspection team will visit the Sunflower School and College within a short time. Action will be taken after the investigation report is submitted, he said. As per the Governing Body and Managing Committee Rules, 2009, there is no provision to transfer a body/committee of an educational institution to any organisation to conduct its activities. About formation of the governing body/managing committee, Provisions 4 and 7 mention that elections have to be held for the body/committee. Provision 49 of the rules says institutions run by trust, missionary, education society, cantonment, municipality, city corporation, railway university, board or any such organisation can form a special governing body or managing committee. Provision 50 stipulates whatever is said in 4, 7 and 49, a special type of governing body or managing committee can be formed in a special situation with prior permission from the board and government. Aminul Haq told The Independent yesterday (Wednesday) that he transferred the governing body to the Lions Club by citing funds crisis of the institution. But his claim does not cover the above provisions which do not say anything about transferring an institution to any organisation. I transferred the governing body to the Lions Club for funds crisis, he said. His pretext was that if the governing body is transferred back to the general body, it would face funds crisis again. But general people alleged that this institution charges exorbitant fees despite being an MPO organisation.