Supreme Court Order Ends Long-Running Dispute Over Headteacher Post in Paikgachha

A long-running legal dispute over the position of headteacher at Shahid Zia Secondary Girls’ School in Paikgachha, Khulna, has reached a new stage following an order from the Supreme Court.

The Jessore Education Board has instructed the school authorities to take necessary steps to reinstate Moniruzzaman, who was appointed headteacher of the institution, in his post in accordance with the Supreme Court’s order.

According to information available from the school, the institution’s then-headteacher, Mujib Rahman, retired before the managing committee appointed Moniruzzaman as his successor on January 22, 2018.

The appointment was reportedly made under the leadership of then-managing committee president Sheikh Rafiqul Islam and in accordance with the education board’s instructions and applicable regulations.

However, Moniruzzaman allegedly faced obstacles in joining the post. He subsequently filed a writ petition with the High Court in 2019. The case was registered as Writ Petition No. 8355/2019.

The High Court ruled in his favour, according to sources familiar with the case.

The High Court ruling was subsequently challenged before the Supreme Court through a leave-to-appeal petition, No. 3020/2019. After hearing the case, the Supreme Court reportedly upheld the High Court’s order.

A review petition, No. 161/2021, was later filed in connection with the matter.

On April 30, 2026, the Supreme Court dismissed the review petition following a hearing and directed the education authorities to take the necessary steps to reinstate Moniruzzaman as headteacher, according to the report.

Following the Supreme Court’s order, Moniruzzaman applied to the Jessore Education Board on August 11 to join the post.

The following day, August 12, 2026, the board’s Inspector Md. Enamul Kabir issued a letter instructing the president of Shahid Zia Secondary Girls’ School to take the necessary steps to facilitate Moniruzzaman’s joining as headteacher.

Copies of the letter were reportedly sent to several government offices, including the Secretary of the Secondary and Higher Education Division of the Ministry of Education and the Director General of the Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education, for information and necessary action.

A teacher, speaking on condition of anonymity, claimed that acting headteacher Anjali Rani Shil had begun contacting various parties after learning of the education board’s reinstatement order. However, her response to the allegation could not be obtained.

The prolonged dispute has also raised questions locally about whether the school’s administrative activities and finances have been affected.

Those concerned have called for the prompt implementation of the Supreme Court’s order and the Jessore Education Board’s directive, bringing the long-running dispute over the headteacher position to an end.