HSC exams in ‘abandoned’ classrooms
More than 1,300 examinees from different colleges are appearing their ongoing HSC examinations at Government Mahtabuddin Degree College in Kaliganj upazila amid risk life as numerous cracks have developed in all the 16 classrooms of its old academic building.
According to the college authorities, the institution was established on 596 acres of land along the Jashore-Jhenidah road in 1966, while the risky old building, comprising of 16 classrooms, was constructed in 1968.
The college has a total of 2835 regular students, 68 teachers and 16 employees.
Although there are two more buildings, including an administrative building, at the college compound, those are not sufficient compared to the number of students the institution has.
While talking, a number of teachers and students said all the 16 classrooms in the old building have developed numerous cracks.
Plaster often falls off the walls and ceilings of those classrooms, while the iron rods got rusted due to lack of renovation work for long, they alleged.
Moreover, the college playground often remains waterlogged while the classrooms get flooded when it rains heavily.
Besides, hundreds of regular students of the institution remain in constant fear while attending their classes in the dilapidated classrooms.
Sulata Biswas, one of the HSC examinees, said the authorities concerned should make alternative arrangement for holding the exams as the classroom are too vulnerable.
One of the regular students Arafat Hossain said they cannot move freely during the rainy season as the college ground remains waterlogged for long.
Sazzad Hossain, a lecturer at the college, said the old ramshackle building is completely unfit for running any academic activities.
Mentionable, the ongoing HSC exams that started on August 17 and will continue till September 25.
Contacted, Acting Principal Monoj Kanti Biswas, also secretary of the examination centre, said after being informed, Jhenidah district administration declared the dilapidated building abandoned.
They also forwarded a proposal to the authorities concerned for constructing a new building there.
They were compelled to hold the HSC exams in the ramshackle building as there is no other alternative, he added.