School building in southern Bangladesh too risky for students

Risking their lives, over 200 students are attending classes at Dakkhin Kazir Howla Govt Primary School in Rangabali upazila, as the school building is in a bad state and it may collapse anytime.

Sources said some well-off locals set up a tin-roof building in 1969 to spread education among the children in the remote char area.

The government listed the school as a registered primary school in 1979. Finally, it was nationalised in 2013.

The Local Government Engineering Department built a one-storey building in 1980 and since then it was not renovated.

Lutfur Rahman, acting headmaster of the school, said plasters at many places of the building fell off and water entered the building during the rainy season.

They are facing many problems, including classroom shortage, as the lone building has become unfit for use, he said.

There are 203 students in the school, including 112 female students, he said.

Mohammad Mahin, a student of class-V, said they are always in fear as the condition of the building is very bad.

Mahin's classmate Maria Begum said the school needs a new building.

Zakir Hossain, a guardian, said the government should take steps to build a new building, considering the interest of education in the remote area.

Mannan Howlader, another guardian, said they are afraid that the building might collapse anytime. They have called upon the authorities concerned to take immediate measures in this regard.

Golam Sagir, Rangabali upazila primary education officer, said they already contacted the higher authority for taking steps to construct a new concrete building in the school.

But, they got an allocation of Tk 3 lakh and with the money, they planned to set up a tin-roof building to meet the accommodation problem, he added.