Risky boat ride to attend school

Villagers, especially school goers, have been suffering a lot due to lack of a bridge on a canal  at Motherbunia in Rangabali upazila for years.

Students have to go to school at nearby Rasulbaria village by boat and they have to  pull a rope for the purpose.

There is no primary school at Motherbunia, a remote village, where over 1,000 people live, said locals.

There are more than 50 school going children at the village. Guardians have to send their children to Rasulbaria Government Primary School by boat amid risk of accident.

Moreover, villagers have to go to the upazila headquarters and the district town crossing a 200-foot-long canal that flows between the two villages.

Serajul Islam, a resident of Motherbunia village, said country boat has been their only means to cross the canal for long.

A rope is tied to trees on both sides and students and villagers cross the canal on a boat by pulling it. Local people arranged it voluntarily, he said.

“Most of us can't run the boat and due to this, our guardians arranged the system,” said Mitu Akhter, a fifth grader.

Another villager Hasem Sikder said despite repeated pleas the authorities concerned are yet to take any steps to build a bridge on the canal.

Abu Zafar, headmaster of the primary school, said a bridge should be constructed on the canal considering the trouble of school goers as they have to come to the school by a boat amid risk of accident.

Upazila Education Officer Md Golam Sagir said he will raise the issue at the upazila development committee meeting to resolve the problem.

Md Delwar Hossain, chairman of the upazila parishad, said he will take steps to build a bridge on the canal as soon as possible.