Concrete roof collapse Lives of 35 schoolboys miraculously saved,Bangladesh

BANGLADESH NEWS

Thirty-five students of Saidpur Muslim High School at Nayatola of Saidpur municipality narrowly escaped a serious disaster when the concrete roof of class nine at the 57-year-old school building collapsed yesterday.

"When the students were attending the school assembly at about 10:30am, the concrete roof of class nine of the academic building suddenly collapsed with a thundering sound. Thank God neither the teacher nor any of the 35 students of the class was in the room that time," said Belal Hossain, headmaster of the school.

Recent downpour for several consecutive days had dampened the old building, he said.

Saidpur Muslim High School was established in 1951 and its 60-foot-long concrete academic building was built in 1955, said locals and teachers.

After Liberation, several more tin-shed rooms were made to arrange classes for the increased number of students. There are now 300 students in the school, said school sources.

In absence of repair or renovation, the building became virtually unusable a few years ago and several students were injured as chunks from the concrete roof fell during class hours at different times. But periods of classes nine and ten were held in the building amid serious risk.

Visiting the school yesterday noon, this correspondent saw broken pieces of the roof lying scattered on the floor and two big pieces hanging from the rusty iron skeleton of the roof.

Visibly panicked, some students and locals were peeping through the window of the collapsed classroom from where benches and tables had been removed.

School managing committee Chairman Hafizur Rahman Hafiz said, "I contacted with the government department concerned praying for construction of a new academic building for the school. But none responded to our appeal. Due to want of classrooms, the teachers continued taking regular classes in the old and risky building.”

Construction of a new academic building has become an urgent requirement to avert more serious accidents in future.

District Education Officer Roksana Begum said that she was unaware of the vulnerable condition of the academic building of Saidpur Muslim High School as none informed her earlier.

“I shall bring the matter to the notice of the government department concerned,” she said.