Initiative to demolish wall of century-old school on hold

The move to demolish the boundary walls of the centenary-old Bindubasini Government Boys' High School in Tangail to widen municipal roads, has been put on hold amid protests by current and former students.

The decision was taken yesterday in a views-exchange meeting with civil society, journalists and municipal authorities at the municipal auditorium.

The meeting came to a conclusion that the issue will be resolved mutually taking recommendations from all stakeholders involved.

With an aim to reduce increasing traffic congestion and improving the town's drainage system, Tangail municipality started the process of converting the two-lane Zila Sadar Road, one of the main roads of the district town, into a four-lane one.

As part of this process, the municipality started taking back the occupied structures built in its territory, officials said.

Local assistant commissioner (land) on September 8 identified that a part of Bindubasini school's boundary wall belonged to the municipality.

Later, the municipal authorities asked the school authorities through letters to hand over five feet of the "encroached" area for the road.

However, the school wrote back to the authorities to do the work after the completion of the ongoing SSC examinations.

As the news broke, the current and former students of the school started protesting in front of the school since Saturday night.

Sammo Rahman, a former student, said they also want the road to be widened for the development of the town, but they don't think there is a need to break the boundary wall of the historic school.

He also asked whether the town authorities are demolishing the structures of the local influential persons.

The school's headteacher Abdul Karim said, "The municipal authorities have already constructed a tin fence inside the boundary wall of the school even though nothing formal has been submitted yet."

Mayor SM Sirajul Haque Khan Alamgir said about 10 feet space inside the school belongs to the municipality, but the decision to take only five feet space for road expansion was made to avoid any damage to the gate of the ancient  school.

"The authorities are determined to recover all grabbed areas for widening the road for citizen's  movement," he added.

Contacted, Dr Ataul Gani, deputy commissioner of Tangail, said he discussed the matter with the school's headmaster and the mayor and measured the area with a surveyor in presence of the assistant commissioner (land).