For the last 15 years, students at a government primary school in Chuadanga sadar upazila had been forced to attend classes at a derelict building and sometimes in the open after a police camp moved there and occupied three of the classrooms.
There have been no visible attempt to address the issue even as Shambhunagar Government Primary School students continue studies in hazardous conditions.
Shambhunagar police camp’s in-charge Jamirul Islam was apologetic. “We are aware that our camp is hampering studies but it is also inconvenient for us to work here,” he said adding that they were trying to relocate the camp to its designated site.
The primary school has six classrooms in two buildings, one of which is derelict. Police members sleep on benches in three classrooms.
This forced the school authorities to continue classes on the veranda and in the risky building.
Headmaster Md Kamal Hossain said policemen occupy the school’s bathrooms most of the time. Locals sought intervention of their MP Solaiman Haque Joarder (Selun), also a Parliament whip, and the district’s police chief.
Kutubpur Union Parishad Chairman Nazrul Islam told the Bangla Tribune that a local Abdul Malek had donated land for setting up a police camp in 2006.
The following year, bricks were collected and the upazila and union parishads donated Tk3 lakh.
“But the camp was never built,” he said. “We’ve informed the MP and the Chuadanga police chief. They have assured us to construct the police camp soon,” he added.
