A headmistress of a government primary school has been arrested on charges of selling new books meant for distribution for free among students. Ayesha Akter, the accused headmistress at Kadamtali Government Primary School in Shayestaganj  upazila of the district, was sent to jail in a case over the recovery of the books on Wednesday. Murshed Alam, inspector (investigation) of Shayestaganj police station, said a total of 394 books of several classes were recovered from a three-wheeler van in front of a fuel station in the upazila on Tuesday afternoon. Read more: NCTB chair, member again summoned over distortion of history in textbooks During the interrogation, the van driver Chhaid Hossain said that the headmistress gave him the books for selling, he said. Later, a team of police led by Sub-Inspector Saidul Islam conducted a drive in the headmistress’s house and found 94 more books wrapped in a plastic sack. During the primary questioning, the accused headmistress said she collected 752 books from a reserved godown of Railway Colony Government Primary School to distribute among students on December 27 last year. After distributing some books, she hoarded the rest of the books on her own to sell on the market, the inspector said. Upazila Education Officer Mohammad Ali filed a case accusing the headmistress in this connection. Read more: NCTB gives corrections for 9 mistakes in 3 textbooks of new curriculum

A 50-year-old headmistress of a school died of Covid-19 in Hathazari of Chattogram Sunday evening, according to a member of the school’s governing council.  Ferdousi Ara, headmaster of Ali Muhammad Government Primary School in Chipatli Union of Hathazari upazila, was buried at Chattagram University Staff Cemetery after janaza last night. Confirming it, Zia Haider, president of the school's governing council, said that the teacher was admitted to  Chattogram General Hospital on September 21 after contracting Covid and died at the Intensive Care Unit of the  facility on September 26. She was suffering from shortness of breath and high fever during this time. The school head was on duty before catching the deadly virus since reopening of the educational institution on September 12, according to her co-workers. READ: PIB assistant professor Quamrun Nahar Ruma dies of Covid-19 Meanwhile, Sahina Akhter, assistant teacher of Hathazari Model Government Primary School, Sanchita Barua, headmistress of Uttar Madarsha Mahluma Government Primary School and Smriti Dutta, assistant teacher of Rashidia Government Primary School all tested positive for Covid-19 and are currently undergoing home quarantine .  Besides, 15 people including the headmaster, teachers and office bearers of Hathazari Model Government Primary School gave their samples at the Upazila Health Complex on Sunday morning as they were in direct contact with the affected persons. Hathazari Upazila Nirbahi Officer Shahidul Alam said the conditions of the other infected teachers are currently stable apart of one casualty. “We are running the school following the government instructions. If the situation deteriorates further, a decision will be taken after consulting higher authorities,” he said. Last Thursday, an eighth-grader, who had been suffering from suspected Covid symptoms of fever, sore throat and shortness of breath, died in Manikganj Sadar. Identified as Rodela, she died on Wednesday evening on way to Dhaka’s Kurmitola General Hospital. She was a student of Surendra Kumar (SK) Govt Girls’ High School . Rodela’s relatives said she had been suffering from fever and sore throat since her first day of school on September 15. She was undergoing treatment under a local doctor who prescribed medicine for sore throat. She was rushed to Munnu Medical College and Hospital in Manikganj on Wednesday afternoon after she complained of shortness of breath. She was being brought to Kurmitola General Hospital in Dhaka as her condition deteriorated, but unfortunately could not make it. Meanwhile, another student of class X of the same school has tested positive for covid-19. The two incidents have sparked concern among the guardians. Also, five students of classes IV and V have tested positive for Covid at a primary school in Thakurgaon sadar upazila on September 24. READ: Another EC official dies of Covid in Mymensingh This has prompted the authorities to suspend all classes of IV and V grades at Bahadurpara Government Primary School in Thakurgaon sadar upazila.