At least 150 students of Ekdala Government Primary in Naldanga upazila have been crossing a slippery bamboo bridge to go to the school even though it poses a great danger to their safety.
Consequently, parents pass their time amidgreat uncertainty during the school period as they fear their children will slip and fall into the water from the bridge.
It was learnt that most of the parts of Ekdala village under Khazura union remain submerged during the rainy seasons and that is why the residents developed their homes on a higher surface by amassing soil.
The school is located away from the main land and the authorities of which have been compelled to close it down during the rainy season after its establishment in 1929 due to the unavailability of a bridge.
To solve the problem, the locals on their own initiative built a bamboo bridge to go school.
Having the bridge be slippery, their children, most of whom do not know how to swim, may fall into the strong current of the water any time they risk their lives to cross it.
The school’s headmistress Suraiya Akter acknowledged the closure during the rainy season, saying the students can not gain adequate knowledge during the forced leave of absence of 3-4 months every year and they struggle to complete the syllabus.
She also said: “Locals made the bridge last year to ensure the attendance of the students during the season, but this bridge poses a risk of losing one’s life by slipped off the bridge and into the strong current.”
Anisur Rahman, managing committee president of the school, echoed the voice of the headmistress, and he urged the local primary education officer and the UNO to solve the long-standing crisis and they assured us of taking steps of building a bridge linking the school and the village.
When contacted, Porimal Kumar, Naldanga primary education officer, said necessary steps would be taken as early as possible.
Naldanga UNO Sharmin Akter Jahan acknowledged the problems, saying he already informed the matter to the higher authority.
