Editor's Pick

Muzharul Islam and his spaces of belonging

14 July 2026, 00:02 AM In Focus

Who protects women in Bangladesh's gig economy?

14 July 2026, 00:05 AM Unheard Voices

Dhaka: How a city was planned to drown

12 July 2026, 17:12 PM Big Picture

11 dead over the World Cup: The real problem is not football

13 July 2026, 11:00 AM Views

How Bangladesh should respond to China’s proposed corridor

12 July 2026, 00:00 AM Geopolitical Insights

<i>Classes under the banyan bough </i>

600 kids' study hampered as fire destroys school rooms

8 February 2009, 18:00 PM

NATIONAL

Our Correspondent, Rajshahi

Students attending classes under a banyan tree after a 'mysterious' fire gutted three rooms of Belgharia Government Primary School in Charghat upzila of Rajshahi yesterday morning.Photo: STAR

Many of around 600 students of Belgharia Government Primary School in Charghat upazila had to attend classes under a banyan tree as three of their best classrooms were gutted in a fire yesterday morning. Some sugar mill labourers called out villagers after seeing the fire at around 5:00am, said Sariatullah, a local youth. One hour later, fire fighters controlled it. By then, furniture of three rooms of the tin-shed school was gutted. A confectionery, a poultry-feed store and a saloon were also gutted in the fire incident. “At least 10 classrooms are required to accommodate all the students of the school but there were only six rooms [before the fire], said teachers. So, we had to arrange classes for the rest at a building that was declared abandoned five years ago. We skip the building during the rainy season when risk of collapse is higher,” said teacher of the primary school. As this correspondent visited the school, some 12 km from the city, at noon yesterday, he saw children of class four attending their classes under a banyan tree. “After coming to school, we found our classrooms burnt and teachers arranged classes under the tree,” said Dristi, a class-four student. The children of classes three and five were at the abandoned building that saw plasters from roof and walls had fallen off. Iron rod skeleton of the building were open at some points. “I feel fear sitting in classes," said Panna, a class-three student.