Police in Sylhet have begun identifying the individuals behind Facebook pages accused of trolling and harassing Beauty Rani Pal, the headmistress of Pitaitikar Government Primary School in Fenchuganj, after a video of her walking around the school premises in a sari went viral on social media.
Beauty Rani Pal filed a General Diary (GD) with Fenchuganj Police Station last Friday, alleging cyberbullying and social harassment. Confirming the matter, Officer-in-Charge Md. Lutfur Rahman said police are investigating the Facebook pages named in the complaint and working to identify those responsible. He added that if the teacher was defamed or made to feel harassed or embarrassed, the matter would be treated accordingly.
The controversy began after a Facebook page named Fenchuganj Pratidin shared the video with a caption claiming the headmistress had performed an “obscene gesture” on school grounds, triggering widespread trolling and abusive comments online. Beauty Rani Pal has accused those involved of spreading defamatory content and warned that she will pursue legal action under the Cyber Security Act if the harassment continues.
The incident has also prompted widespread solidarity. Women across Bangladesh have shared similar videos on social media in support of the teacher and in protest against cyberbullying and online harassment targeting women. Responding to the criticism, Beauty Rani Pal said there was nothing obscene in her video and argued that society must develop a more progressive mindset if it wishes to move forward.
Addressing the issue, State Minister Bobby Hajjaj said he had not watched the video but saw nothing inherently wrong with a teacher singing or making such a video, adding that he did not believe it contained obscenity. Sylhet District Primary Education Officer Sakhawat Ershed also said no investigation committee had been formed and expressed concern about the teacher’s mental well-being, noting that she had been left mentally distressed by the online abuse.
Source: Bangla Tribune