Cracks in Pabna schoolhouse, bamboo sticks used in construction

Students of Binnadangi Government Primary School in Sujanagar upazila under the district have continued their classes amid the risk of building collapse.

Recently removal of huge chunks of plaster revealed the use of bamboo sticks instead of iron rods in the building construction, adding to the tension among teachers, students and guardians.

Visiting the school a few days ago, this correspondent saw the students attending classes in the risky schoolhouse that developed cracks in walls, pillars and roof.

"Established in 1980, the school was nationalised in 2013. Now we have 151 students. But the school building constructed in two phases in 1994 and 2005 became risky within a few years," said Md Abul Kalam Azad, acting headmaster of the school.

After a portion of plaster on the door of a classroom fell off a few days ago, it was found that bamboo sticks instead of iron rods were used there, said Md Fazlul Haque, assistant teacher of the school.

Funded by the LGED, the school building was constructed with low quality materials but the contractors, also local leaders of the then ruling party BNP, managed everything through influence, said school teachers and locals.

Engineers visiting the site found the fault but the school building was completed with the defective construction, said Abdus Salam Sheikh, a resident near the school.

“When the school building was constructed with reject materials including bamboo, we dared not protest due to the threat of contractor's men,” said Md Monzed Ali Sheikh, a resident near the school.

“We became happy to get new textbooks on the New Year. But now we feel scared to enter classrooms after it was revealed that bamboo sticks were in the building instead of iron rods,” said Rashed Sheikh, a student of Class V.

"My mother often forbids me to come to school due to the risk in the building but I do not want to miss lessons in the beginning of the new class," Fatema Khatun of the same class said.

Several other students shared similar apprehension.

“This is strange that the school authority, education office and the local administration have not taken any step to make alternative arrangement for the children's classes although the school building has turned too risky to use,” said Monzed Ali Sheikh.

Md Belal Hossain, assistant upazila primary education officer, said, "I found massive damage in the school building and have already informed the higher authorities of the matter.”

Md Johurul Islam, Sujanagar upazila engineer, said he does not know anything about the risky school building.