On April 8, the Primary and Mass Education Ministry asked the district primary education officers to identify very risky buildings of government primary schools across the country and inform it.

The government move came after a Class-III student was killed and three more were injured as the ceiling of a govt primary school collapsed on them in Taltali upazila of Barguna on April 6.

As per the ministry’s instruction, the District Primary Education (DPE) office took the initiative to identify the risky school buildings here.

It found 147 out of total 2,285 buildings as vulnerable, said Sheikh Ohidul Alam, district primary education officer.

However, students continue to attend classes in those shabby buildings amid the risk of accident as there is no alternative.

According to the DPE office, there are 41 risky primary school buildings in Sharsha upazila while 18 in Sadar, three in Abhaynagar, four in Keshabpur, 12 in Chaugachha, 25 in Jhikargachha, 15 in Bagherpara and 29 in Manirampur upazila.

Shafiqul Islam, head teacher of Madanpur Primary School in Manirampur upazila, said they have been running their academic activities in the dilapidated building for the last 4-5 years amid risk as they could not arrange any alternative.

He said they lodged complaints with the upazila primary education officer on several occasions but there has been no response. “If the school building is not renovated immediately, there might be accident anytime,” he said.

Farhad Hossain, headmaster of Nalia Govt Primary School in Sadar upazila, said his school, built in 1921, is now in a very shabby condition.

He said they informed the authorities concerned of it several times, but there has been no remedy.

The district primary education officer said the list of risky school buildings in the district has been sent to the ministry. “The school buildings will be renovated in the 2019-20 fiscal year,” he said.