School President Orders Forced Haircuts, Sparks Parent Brawl

In Jhenaidah's Shailkupa, the president of Kismat Ali Secondary School reportedly ordered students to have their hair forcibly cut by a barber brought into a classroom on Thursday morning. This action led to a physical altercation between the school president and angry parents. The school's managing committee president, Mamunur Rashid, stated that a meeting with parents on Wednesday decided that students with messy hair would have it neatly cut, and those wearing face masks with inappropriate writing would be stopped. He claimed the haircutting followed this decision and was for the school's betterment. However, parents were angered by the president's perceived overreach. Eighth-grader Afreen Hossain reported being among several students called to a classroom and having their hair cut against their will. Another student, Sakin Hossain, confirmed a barber was brought from a nearby market. A parent, Abdul Malek Molla, criticized the president's actions as overly authoritarian. The head teacher, Zahiduzzaman, acknowledged an "undesirable incident" but suggested the president had good intentions and that efforts were underway to resolve the situation. Jhenaidah District Education Officer Lutfor Rahman stated he was unaware of the incident but would investigate, emphasizing that forcing students to get haircuts is legally impermissible.