As Padma closes in, school braces for worst

Around 17 years ago, a char (shoal land) emerged in Purba Naodoba union of Shariatpur’s Zajira upazila. A village called Alam Kha Kandi grew on it, and in 2017, the No 122 Altaf Hossain Khan Government Primary School was built there on 33 decimals of land.

At the time, the Padma river was nearly two kilometres away, out of sight from the school gate. But successive bouts of erosion over the past two years have brought the river to within just 50 metres of the school building.

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Teachers, students and residents now fear the school could meet the same fate as neighbouring Painpara Government Primary School and Rizia Amin Government Primary School, which were swallowed by the river in 2024 and 2025 respectively.

During a recent visit, the edge of the school field and several trees were seen crumbling into the river. Nearby, the roof of a building already claimed by the river lay tilted against the shore.

Inside the school, tin fencing had been dismantled to allow for quick relocation if needed. Classroom partitions had been removed and ceiling fans taken down.

“Our school could be taken by the river at any time. If it happens, we won’t be able to study here anymore. It feels very scary. Where will we study then? We want measures to protect our school,” said Borna Akter, a fourth-grader.

Teacher Naimur Rahman Khan said fear of erosion had already driven at least 100 students away.

“We also always have to remain alert, because the school is at risk,” he said.

Altaf Hossain Khan, the school’s founder and union parishad chairman, said the area had been facing erosion for years. “We have repeatedly requested the Bangladesh Water Development Board to take action, but nothing has been done,” he said over the phone.

Md Milton Hossain, executive engineer of the BWDB in Shariatpur, said the erosion at Alam Kha Kandi had been reported to higher authorities, but the Ministry of Water Resources was not currently taking emergency measures in char areas.

He said no NOC had been sought from the BWDB before the school was built on the char. Neither the district nor the upazila education department had informed his office that the school was at risk, he added.

“Even so, I will visit the area and take the necessary measures, subject to permission from higher authorities,” he said.

Zajira Upazila Primary Education Officer Bazlur Rahman said preparations were underway to relocate the school before further erosion.