Students on class boycott to protest adjoining brick kiln
Students of Moragachha High School in Khoksa upazila under Kushtia district form a human chain in front of the school on Monday demanding stoppage of the operation of the adjacent brick kiln that badly disturbs their study and poses health hazard. Photo: STAR
Students of Moragachha High School in Khoksa upazila under the district have continued class boycott and agitation since November 21 demanding stoppage of an adjoining brick kiln that disturbs their study and poses health hazards. The students have also been blocking Kushtia-Rajbari road for an hour everyday on the same ground. When a local influential person belonging to BNP set up the brick kiln in January this year, teachers of the school repeatedly asked him not to build the brick kiln just beside the school but to no effect. "We even asked the kiln owner to follow the environment laws. But he did not pay heed," said Selim Hossain, a teacher of the school. "Smoke creates such an unhealthy situation in the school area that we cannot breathe well while ashes make it difficult to sit on the benches," said Hinel, a student of class seven. School sources alleged that the brick kiln owner managed a few members of the school managing committee to set up the brick kiln ignoring the protest of teachers and students. The school teachers also drew the attention of local administration but no action was taken against the brick kiln owner. Several locals expressed surprise how the owner managed license from the administration to set up the brick kiln just beside the school. Protesting the matter, students brought out a procession and submitted memorandum to the upazila administration on November 21. As no step was taken the students went on agitation, remaining away from the classes. When the students blocked Kushtia-Rajbari highway on Saturday Khoksa upazila chairman Sadar Uddin rushed to the spot and persuaded the students to withdraw the blockade by giving them assurance of taking step in this regard. Khoksa Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Aslam Hossain accompanied by Dr Kamruzzaman, acting upazila medical officer, visited the spot on Monday. Talking to this correspondent, the UNO said he did not find anything harmful about the brick kiln. He however said, "I asked the kiln owner to stop operation of the kiln after completing burning of the bricks that have already been made." Dr Kamruzzaman said some dusts are created form the brick kiln but smoke from the kiln does not cause any harm to the students and teachers of the adjoining school. The brick kiln owner could not be contacted for his version.
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