July 3, 2024
DHAKA – At least 39 government primary schools across Rangpur division have either sustained damages to their infrastructure or washed away due to recent flash floods and river erosion.
Of those, 11 schools were in Gaibandha, 20 in Kurigram, two in Rangpur, and six in Lalmonirhat.
The damages were caused by the rising waters of Brahmaputra, Teesta, Dudhkumar, and Dharla rivers in Rangpur, Nilphamari, Kurigram, Lalmonirhat, and Gaibandha districts since mid-June, following torrential rainfall upstream in India.
According to locals and teachers, this has been a recurring issue that results in massive financial losses to the government and disrupts the education of hundreds of children.
Officials said these schools often cannot protect their lands and infrastructure from erosion and flash floods due to close proximity with the rivers.
As such, these schools are often built with corrugated tin sheets and bamboo for easier relocation.
“Patilbari Primary School had to be relocated three times in the past year due to erosion,” said Mahbubur Rahman, headteacher of the school in Saghata upazila of Gaibandha.
Abdul Malek, headteacher of the school in Gaibandha’s Sundarganj upazila, said, “Bhati Borail Govt Praimary School has been vulnerable to Teesta’s erosion over the past one and half years. We have continuously contacted the LGED department for relocation. Recently, the school has been relocated.”
Authorities of Gujimari and Khamar Damarhat government primary schools in Kurigram’s Ulipur did the same.
“Kurigram saw the most schools damaged in floods and erosion in the division, affecting at least 1,300 students,” said Md Amir Hossain, primary education officer in Ulipur upazila.
Contacted, Muzahidul Islam, deputy director of Primary Education Department in Rangpur, said they are working on alternative measures to compensate for the academic losses.