A Jhenaidah court sentenced a former headteacher to seven years in prison for using fake certificates to secure his job. The Chief Judicial Magistrate, Masud Ali, delivered the verdict on Wednesday afternoon.
The convict, Md Roni Akhtar, previously served as headteacher at Principal Mosharraf Hossain Saleha Khatun Secondary School in Sadar upazila.
Nasrin Akhtar, the school’s current acting headteacher, filed the case on 14 November 2024. She accused Roni Akhtar of forging his teacher registration and BEd certificates to obtain the position.
Jhenaidah Court Police Inspector Md Moktar Hossain said the court found Roni guilty of using forged documents in the 2024 case.
The judge handed him seven years of rigorous imprisonment under two sections and imposed a Tk20,000 fine. If he fails to pay, he will serve an additional six months in simple imprisonment—three months for each section. The sentences will run consecutively.
Moktar Hossain added that Roni was present in the courtroom when the judge announced the verdict.
Advocate Md Tarikul Alam, representing the plaintiff, said the verdict came within a year of filing the case. He argued that the case moved too quickly before he could respond to the case better. Alam confirmed that they plan to appeal to the higher court.
