A 60-year-old decaying school building in Faridpur’s Madhukhali upazila has been causing constant fear among the students and teachers of the institution.
A prestigious school in the area, Karamchhali High School was founded in 1940, at the birthplace of Bir Sreshtho Munshi Abdur Rouf.
The two-storey building, which was constructed later in 1962, accommodates some 800 students daily.
There has been anxiety over the current infrastructure of the institution, but classes are still being held in the building.
In such circumstances, many parents are wary of sending their children to school due to safety concerns.
Rusty rods coming out of the walls at Karamchhali High School Dhaka TribuneStudents and teachers reported that pieces of plasters are falling off in different places, including the classes and balconies. The rods underneath the walls have rusted and are falling out one by one. The RCC pillars and beams have also developed cracks.
Farhana Delwar, a ninth-grader, said various parts of the school are damaged. “We are always afraid that the building might collapse when we are in class.”
Another student, Abid Hassan, said: "We have been attending classes in this risky building for so long. I cannot concentrate on my studies. When the teachers are teaching, I keep looking at the walls, thinking it could collapse on our heads.”
The headmaster of the school, Mohammad Bashir Uddin, said during the war in 1971, large shells were thrown at the school building, and hence the classrooms gradually became dilapidated.
“When it rains, the roofs leak. The doors and windows of the classrooms are broken. Teachers and students have to be in fear of accidents all the time,” he added.
The building was repaired a long time ago with school funds, said Chowdhury Rakib Hossain Iran, president of the Board of Directors of the school and chairman of Kamarkhali union parishad.
Karamchhali High School Dhaka Tribune“Apart from classes, the building is also used as an examination centre for Secondary School Certificate (SSC) and Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) examinations. Two years ago, a one-storey building was constructed by the Directorate of Technical Education. However, only classes for technical education students are held in that building.”
He added that the matter has been reported to the Education Engineering Department.
Upazila Secondary Education Officer Parmis Sultana said they have inspected the school building. “The condition of the building is really very fragile.”
Madhukhali Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Ashikur Rahman Chowdhury said the authorities will list the school when they get the chance to allocate buildings in the upazila. “Karamchhali High School will be given priority as the building is very risky.”
Meanwhile, Madhukhali Upazila Parishad Chairman Shahidul Islam said the problem will only be solved by constructing a multi-storey building for students.
