Flood-hit students at eight Bagha schools get indefinite leave 

BAGHA, RAJSHAHI, Sept 14: Students of eight schools in Chak Rajapur Union of Bagha Upazila have been given indefinite leave as floodwaters have left them unable to travel to their educational institutions.

The leave, effective from September 9, covers six government primary schools and two high schools in 15 chars in the Padma River. The schools’ offices will remain open, however, and teachers have been instructed to attend regularly and on time.

Around 20,000 people in the 15 chars have been waterlogged for about a week, leaving many residents stranded.

The two affected high schools - Chak Rajapur High School and Fatehpur Palashi High School - have more than 600 students, many of whom are unable to travel to and from school due to the flooding. Following instructions from the district education office, the upazila education office ordered the two schools to remain closed for students.

Six government primary schools - Choumadia, Atarpara, Paschim Char Kalidashkhali, Fatehpur Palashi, Laxminagar and Char Kalidashkhali - have also been ordered closed as students cannot travel to the schools.
However, classes are continuing at Palashi, Chak Rajapur and Purba Chak Rajapur government primary schools as these institutions have not been affected by floodwaters.

Mir Mamunur Rahman, Upazila Primary Education Officer, said six of the nine primary schools in the chars had been closed for students while classes continued at the remaining three.

The upazila secondary education officer said the authorities had informed the Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education about the closure of Chak Rajapur and Palashi Fatehpur high schools.

Although the Padma’s water level fell slightly on Monday, residents of the chars were still struggling to protect and feed their livestock.

The flood has affected residents of Atarpara, Choumadia, Diyar Kadipur, Uttar Kalidashkhali, Dakshin Kalidashkhali, Paschim Char Rajapur, Purba Chak Rajapur, Dadpur, Palashi Fatehpur, Nich Palashi Fatehpur, Jotashi, Laxminagar, Kalidashkhali, Ambagan and Tiktikipara chars.

Jagu Shikdar, General Secretary of Chak Rajapur union BNP, said dry food, including flattened rice, puffed rice, sugarcane molasses, oral saline, essential medicines and safe drinking water had been distributed among 200 families by the administration and the upazila Ansar and VDP office.

Upazila Nirbahi Officer Taqi Faisal Talukdar said education officials decided to close the affected institutions after assessing the flood situation.

“People in the chars are living in great hardship. Some relief has been provided to them,” he said, urging individuals and organisations to come forward to support the flood-hit residents.