<i>Kids watch TV as playground made sand trading spot</i>

A local ruling party man running sand trade in the common playground of Balapukur High School and non-government primary school in Aditmari upazila of Lalmonirhat district, depriving students of both the institutions of recreational facilities.Photo: STAR

Students of Balapukur High School and Balapukur Registered Non-government Primary School in Aditmari upazila under the district are deprived of recreational facilities as a local leader of the ruling party has been using the school playground for sand trade for three months.
Nazrul Islam, general secretary of Aditmari upazila Awami Swechchhasebok League, has continued the callous act despite repeated requests from headmasters of the two schools, students and local guardians, locals said.
"Nazrul Islam has been running sand trade in the common ground of the high school and the primary school at Balapukur village for the last three months, depriving the students of playing there. Now students often go to watch video at local tea stalls for spending their leisure period," said Mobarok Hossain, a local guardian.
Asadul Islam, a class nine student of Balapukur High School, said there are different kinds of sports items in the school but they cannot use them as the school playground is under occupation of a ruling party man for his sand trade.
The school playground is getting damaged due to movement of sand carrying trucks, said Ariful Islam, another student of the same class.
Many students go to local tea stalls to watch video during the tiffin period as they cannot play in the school playground, said Foridul Islam of class five.
“On several occasions during the last three months I asked Nazrul Islam to free the playground from his sand trading, but he is yet to do it,” said Jagodish Chandro Roy, acting headmaster of Balapukur Registered Non-government Primary School.
Nazrul also ignored request from the school managing committee men to free the field, said Enamul Haque, headmaster of Balapukur High School.
Contacted, Awami Swechchhasebok League leader Nazrul Islam said, "I have kept some sand, lifted from a nearby pond, at the school playground for a few days. I do not trade sand in the playground. I will take away all the sand from there within three or four days.”
Aditmari Upazila Nirbahi Officer Rezaul Alam Sarker said, "I didn't take any step regarding the matter as I was unaware of it and nobody of the two schools informed me about it before. I will take proper initiative to free the school playground from sand trading if the sand trader fails to do it himself."