Nearly 500 students at a 145-year-old secondary school in Jhenaidah are attending classes in deteriorating buildings, where falling plaster, cracked walls and leaking roofs pose serious safety risks.
Established in 1881, Nagerhat Secondary School in Shailkupa upazila is struggling with a shortage of classrooms as its existing buildings fall into disrepair and repeated appeals for a new academic building go unanswered.
Plaster frequently falls from walls and ceilings, while rainwater seeps through damaged roofs, flooding classrooms and soaking students’ books and notebooks. Most classrooms have broken blackboards and damaged furniture.
Despite repeated appeals, teachers, students and guardians say the authorities have taken no effective action.
Located on 74 decimals of land in Bagura Union, the school currently has around 500 students. A science building was constructed in 1980, followed by another building in 1997 under the Facilities Department. Both structures have since deteriorated considerably.
Residents said many parents had transferred their children to other schools because of safety concerns, while some existing students were reluctant to attend classes regularly.
The school has 11 rooms, including classrooms and offices, most of which are in poor condition. Several walls and ceilings have developed cracks, with rusty reinforcement bars exposed and plaster falling away in places. The old tin-roofed structure is in even worse condition, with broken doors and windows and crumbling walls.
Student Sabbir Ahmed said the deteriorating environment was affecting students’ education and morale.
“Many nearby schools have modern buildings, but ours is in such poor condition that it is difficult even to look at,” he said.
Another student, Sumaiya Khatun, said the playground remained waterlogged, preventing outdoor activities.
“We attend classes in constant fear. Sometimes pieces of concrete fall from the ceiling onto us. When it rains, our books and notebooks get wet,” she said.
Schoolteacher Pradip Mondal said the institution had served the community for generations, but infrastructure problems were disrupting education.
“We urgently need a new academic building. Nationalising the school would also help organise its educational activities better,” he said.
Principal Mukul Hossain said repeated requests for a new building had produced no results.
“We have no alternative but to continue teaching in these unsafe buildings. The tin-roofed structure could collapse at any moment,” he said.
He stressed that a new academic building was urgently needed to ensure students’ safety and uninterrupted education.
Jhenaidah District Secondary Education Officer Lutfor Rahman acknowledged the problems, saying the authorities were gathering information about unsafe school buildings across the district.
“We are aware of the deteriorating buildings and playground. Once information collection is complete, we will submit a report outlining the requirements to the relevant department,” he said.
Rahman expressed hope that necessary measures would follow.
With no immediate solution in sight, students and teachers continue their daily activities amid fears of accidents, while the school awaits the infrastructure needed to provide a safe learning environment.
