Viqarunnisa Noon School and College

The school began as Ramna Preparatory School in 1947. Austrian-Pakistani social worker Begum Viqar un Nisa Noon, wife of the then governor of East Pakistan, Firoz Khan Noon, was impressed when she visited the school in 1950. In 1978, it introduced a college section offering higher secondary courses. In 1986, a day shift was introduced at the main campus. The school later opened additional branches in Azimpur, Bashundhara, and Dhanmondi. In 1995, the school introduced English-medium courses. == Campuses ==

The main campus on Bailey Road covers approximately six acres of land. With growing admissions, the school introduced multiple sections, afternoon shifts, and three branch campuses in Dhaka at Dhanmondi, Azimpur, and Bashundhara. The Dhanmondi campus address is House No. 6, Road No. 80, Dhanmondi R/A, Dhaka. == Curriculum ==

The school offers English-version and Bengali-medium courses in three programmes: humanities (Bengali-medium only), science (both English-version and Bengali-medium), and business studies (Bengali-medium only). == Enrollment and admissions ==

As of 2012, the school had 650 teachers and more than 30,000 students. Only girls are admitted. The school and college sections accept students from all branches of the school as well as from other areas of Bangladesh. == Rankings and academic performance ==

In 2005, Viqarunnisa Noon School and College ranked second among colleges under the Dhaka Education Board. In 2007, Viqarunnisa Noon School and College was one of the top three colleges under the Dhaka Education Board. In 2009, the school was among the top three institutions in Bangladesh in SSC results. == Administration and governance ==

In March 2010, the Ministry of Education appointed Rokeya Akter as acting principal after she was removed by the board of governors of the school. In June 2010, the government appointed Hosne Ara Begum as principal of Viqarunnisa Noon School. In April 2019, the Dhaka Education Board halted the recruitment process for a new principal following reports of irregularities. Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice Md Khairul Alam of the Bangladesh High Court halted the appointment of Fouzia Raozan on 16 September 2019 following a petition challenging the government's authority to appoint a principal. The High Court Division later allowed the appointment to proceed, and Chief Justice Hasan Foez Siddique refused to hear a petition challenging her appointment by Advocate Eunus Ali Akond. Principal Nazneen Ferdous was removed, and Hasina Begum was appointed acting principal. In August 2021, a recording of a conversation between Principal Kamrun Nahar and a guardian was leaked and went viral on social media. Following this, Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice Mostafizur Rahman ordered a departmental investigation against the principal. == Viqarunnisa University ==

Establishment and closure Viqarunnisa University () was a private university in Bangladesh. It was established in 2001. The university is now closed and is no longer conducting any activities. The university was named after Austrian-Pakistani social worker Viqar un Nisa Noon. Staff members of Viqarunnisa University were also accused in the case. == Notable events and incidents ==

Crime, safety, and policing In 1989, a parent, Sagira Morshed Salam, was killed by a mugger during an attempted robbery in front of the school. Two students of the school were kidnapped and later rescued by Bangladesh Police from Asad Gate and Uttara Model Town. Community and external support In April 2008, a forum for guardians of students at the school was established. In August 2009, the Government of Pakistan, through the High Commission in Dhaka, provided funding for a computer laboratory for the Azimpur branch of the school. Sexual assault case (2011) and aftermath In 2011, a teacher of Viqarunnisa, Porimol Joydhor, sexually assaulted a Class X student and recorded her on his phone. He also threatened to release the recordings online. The victim submitted complaints to school authorities, but no action was taken. This led to widespread criticism and protests. Students demanded the resignation of Principal Husne Ara Begum. The teacher was sentenced to life imprisonment on 25 November 2015. Tuition-fee litigation (2017) In March 2017, Justice Zinat Ara and Justice Kazi Md Ejarul Haque of the High Court Division directed the school not to collect extra tuition fees. Aritry Odhikari suicide (2018) and legal proceedings In December 2018, a ninth-grade student, Aritry Odhikari, died by suicide after being insulted by school authorities. The incident received nationwide attention and sparked protests. Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid described the incident as "painful and tragic". A probe by the Ministry of Education found various irregularities within the school administration. Some students protested and demanded the release of one of the detained teachers. Two teachers were indicted by the court. Arrest warrants were later issued against them. Admissions litigation (2023) On 16 January 2023, the Ministry of Education issued a circular limiting additional admissions beyond the number of seats in a school to seven percent. This prevented the admission of 41 students, whose parents filed a petition with the Bangladesh High Court. == Notable alumni ==

• Luna Shamsuddoha — banker and entrepreneur == Notable faculty ==

• Nurjahan Murshid — veteran of the Bangladesh Liberation War and cabinet minister • Dilara Zaman — actress == See also ==