A crumbling infrastructure and a growing sense of frustration are now the grim reality at Manikchhari Girimaithri Government Degree College in Khagrachhari’s Manikchhari upazila.
With every passing year, the institution finds itself drowning under the weight of an ever-rising number of examinees, yet no help seems to be coming.
The college, established in 1990 and nationalised in 2018, is now at breaking point.
What was once a modest institution serving local students has become an overstretched exam centre, catering not only to its own students but also to the ones from neighbouring colleges in Guimara and Lakshmichhari.
Even Ideal College from the same upazila has recently joined the list, further aggravating the crisis.
A Crumbling Institution
Manikchhari College is running on borrowed time. The campus consists of just two main structures—a fragile two-storey building and a tin-roofed extension—both in dire need of repair.
Exams and regular classes are often held in an open room on the rooftop, where students sit vulnerable to the elements.
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When it rains, the roof leaks, forcing examinees to huddle under whatever shelter they can find.
With nearly 1,400 students expected to take their upcoming HSC exams here, including 600 from neighbouring institutions, the college is struggling to make space.
More students mean more invigilators, but with only 12 teachers out of 17 sanctioned posts, the college is already short-staffed.
To fill the gaps, teachers from local schools and madrasas are drafted in—a move that has drawn sharp criticism.
‘It’s a Nightmare’
For nearby institutions, the crisis at Manikchhari College is spilling over into their own classrooms.
"Using my school as a venue for college examinees severely hampers teaching, as teachers are occupied with exam duties," said Mongshepru Marma, headmaster of Collegiate High School.
Maulana Belal Uddin, superintendent of South Chenguchara Nesaria Islamia Dakhil Madrasa, echoed his frustration.
“Our class activities were disrupted as we had to provide both teachers and furniture for the college exam centre,” he said.
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Despite repeated appeals since 2023 for separate exam centres in Guimara and Lakshmichhari, the authorities have remained silent.
A Desperate Call for Action
Acting Principal SM Shah Alam paints a bleak picture. “We are drowning under the pressure. The infrastructure simply cannot handle this many students, and we don’t have enough teachers. We’ve been pleading for help, but nothing changes.”
The situation is spiralling out of control. With no immediate intervention from education authorities, students and teachers alike are being forced to endure impossible conditions.
Without additional exam centres and urgent infrastructure upgrades, Manikchhari College may soon collapse—both literally and figuratively—under the sheer weight of expectation.