School playground being used for stone trading
The playground of Hasor Uddin High School at Dangabari village of Burimari union in Patgram upazila under the district is being used for stone trading for years, much to the frustration of the students and sports loving people in the area.
"Earlier I regularly played cricket and football in the playground. But it went under the control of stone traders four years ago," said Rubel Islam, a Class VIII student in the village.
Once the playground served as the venue of inter-upazila sports competitions but it cannot be done for the last four years, said locals including Taherul Islam, Mansur Ali and Liakot Hossain.
Early January every year, Tk 50 thousand is given as yearly payment to school headmaster Rabiul Islam and school managing committee (SMC) chairman Hashem Ali as the playground is leased to 12 stone traders, said stone trader Abu Bakkar Siddique.
Contacted, headmaster Rabiul Islam said the amount is spent for the development work of the school.
SMC chief Hashem Ali, also president of Sreerampur union unit of Awami League, echoed the same.
However several teachers and staffs of the school seeking anonymity said the earning from leasing the playground is not spent for school's development, rather it goes to the pockets of the headmaster and the SMC chairman.
TM Abdul Hamid, Patgram upazila education officer, said he will take departmental step to free the school playground and ensure its use for sports.
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