Clique lured schoolboys to work in brick kilns
Jaldhaka schools mourn death of Cumilla tragedy victims
Teachers and students of Mirganj High School in Jaldhaka upazila yesterday offered prayer for salvation of the departed souls of the students, who were killed when a coal-laden truck flipped over on their makeshift shed at a brick kiln in Cumilla early Friday.
The school authority also hoisted black flag on the school premises for three consecutive days since Saturday to mourn their death.
Being allured by some local syndicate members, the adolescent boys went to Cumilla as brick kiln workers after completion of their school annual examinations, locals alleged.
Headmaster Mostafizur Rahman said five regular students of his school--Class IX students Tarun Chandra, 16, and Biplob Chandra, 15, and Class X students Proshanto Roy Dipu, 16, Amit Chandra, 19, and Selim Hossain, 15,--were killed in the accident.
Black flag was also hoisted on the premises of neighbouring Shimulbari SC High School on Saturday in honour of its two killed students Monoranjan Roy, 17, and Mrinal Chandra, 15, both of Class X, Headmaster Jyotish Chandra said.
Locals said, of the 13 victims, 10 were current and former students of the two schools, and the rest three Ranjit, 30, Bikash, 32, and Kanak, 40, of Nijpara village used to allure local adolescent boys to work in distant brick kilns.
Kamol Roy, 50, of Nijpara village, alleged that deceased Ranjit, Bikash and Kanak used to collect labourers from the northern districts for distant brick kilns in exchange of a handsome commission.
“As my son had a fascination for touch phone our neighbour Ranjit lured him to work at the Comilla brick kiln so that he could buy a phone of his own,” Dipu's mother Gita Rani said.
Tarun's mother Sandha Bala alleged that her son went to Cumilla after being influenced by Kanak, who paid Tarun Tk 1,000 in advance.
Jaldhaka Upazila Nirbahi Officer Mohammad Sujauddoula said he will ask all the union parishad (UP) chairmen concerned to make a list of the syndicate members in the next upazila coordination committee meeting so that he can take action against the culprits.