School ground used for sand trade, fishery

From left: Gate of Azad Bakth High School at Sherpur in Moulvibazar Sadar upazila, a portion of school playground used for sand trade, and another portion for pisciculture.Photo: STAR

'Leaseholders' are using the playground of century-old Azad Bakth High School at Afrozganj Bazaar in Sherpur under Moulvibazar Sadar upazila for sand trade and pisciculture.
In 2005, a powerful political quarter backed by the then ruling four-party alliance had taken lease of the school land from the Roads and Highways Department (RHD) in the name of forestation, said sources at school and RHD.
Later they started using a portion of the land for storing and supplying sand while dug another portion for pisciculture. The ground is situated on the bank of Kushiyara River.
RHD had no right to lease out the school land but the school authorities had to remain silent in the face of threat by the then ruling party men, Md Shahab Uddin, Headmaster of Azad Bakth High School, told this correspondent.
“Academic atmosphere of the school is badly affected due to high sound of machines and trucks and massive pollution by dust. Besides, school students are deprived of the opportunity to arrange games and sports,” he said.
He said the then landlord of the area, Syed Yaor Bokth had donated 70 decimal of land under Brahmingram Mouza, to the school for using as its playground. Later the playground earned fame in the area as sports competitions and events of different games were held there. In 1956 land settlement survey, the land was mistakenly recorded in the name of the then C & B (abolished after formation of RHD). But possession of the land was always under the school that continued using it as playground. In 1996 land settlement survey, the mistake was corrected and the land was officially returned to the school, the headmaster said.
During this correspondent's recent visit to the school, several students asked him if there was any way to recover their playground.
Monindranath Podder, president of the school managing committee, said earlier they appealed to the administration to take steps for freeing the playground from illegal possession but to no effect.
Sirajul Islam, Nasir Ahmed, Rubel Ahmed and Ruhel Ahmed, the 'lease holders' of the school playground, said, “We did not occupy the school playground. We only took lease of the land from the RHD.”
Executive Engineer of Moulvibazar RHD was not available when this correspondent visited his office two times.
A few RHD officials seeking anonymity said former executive engineer of the office had leased out the school land under pressure from the then ruling party leaders but the act was illegal.
Moulvibazar Sadar Upazila Nirbahi Officer Mukammel Hussain said he was not informed about the issue of school playground.
He, however, said it will be possible to recover the school land through the assistant commissioner (Land).