Most educational instts yet to build Shaheed Minar

A staggeringly vast majority of the educational institutions in Meherpur and Joypurhat districts are without any Shaheed Minar, a monument to commemorate the martyrs of 1952 Language Movement.

As many as 415 of the 449 educational institutions in three upazilas of Meherpur district have no Shaheed Minar, reports our Kushtia correspondent Amanur Aman, from Meherpur.

There are 11 colleges, 129 high schools, three vocational institutes, 306 primary schools and 26 madarsas in the district and of them, only 19 high schools, four colleges, seven madrasas and four primary schools have Shaheed Minars, said Biswajit Boldar, assistant inspector of district education office.

The students of Meherpur Government Boys' School, established in 1948, played a glorious role in the Language Movement but no Shaheed Minar was built after the earlier constructed language martyrs' monument at the school ground was removed during construction of a new building a few years ago, said a teacher during this correspondent's visit there.

Afroza Haq, headmaster of the school, said they have sent a letter to the higher authority concerned asking for Tk 28 lakh to build a new Shaheed Minar.

"We build a Shaheed Minar with bamboo and leaves of deodar tree at our school ground on the eve of February 21 every year to observe the day," said Mita Khatun, a student of Radhakantpur High School in Meherpur Sadar upazila.   

Headmasters of several primary schools said they cannot build Shaheed Minar due to lack of fund.

"As per a government directive, every school has to build Shaheed Minar within 2017," said Gazi Md Rafi, district education officer of Meherpur.

"We can consider using a part of the government's development budget in every district to build Shaheed Minar at the educational institutions," said Forhad Hossain, lawmaker of Meherpur-1.

Our Dinajpur correspondent Kongkon Karmaker reports: Only 41 of the 262 high schools in five upazilas under Joypurhat district have Shaheed Minars, said sources of the district education office.

The scene is even worse for madaras as only four of the 101 madrasas in the district have Shaheed Minars.

The language martyr day of February 21, observed as the National Mourning Day, is also recognised as International Mother Language Day.

Students, especially those of developed urban areas pay respect to the language martyrs at the Shaheed Minars on the institution premises, said Amzad Hossain, commander of Joypurhat district Muktijoddha Sangsad.

"But a large number of institutions, especially in rural areas, are still without any Shaheed Minar. The government should take initiative to build language martyrs' monument in every school of the country," he said.

Anwarul Islam, district education officer of Joypurhat, said all the educational institutions have got notice to build Shaheed Minar at their ground and authorities of most of them are waiting for government fund for the purpose.