Students' lives put at risk
Roof of Barisal BM College hostel's dining room at a century-old building collapses
The abandoned century-old building where a room was being used as the dining hall of a hostel of Barisal BM College. Inset, a portion of the roof of the dining hall collapsed yesterday. However, none was injured.Photo: STAR
A portion of the roof of the dining-cum-TV room of the century-old Surendra Chhatrabas (hostel) of Barisal Government Brojo Mohan (BM) College collapsed yesterday. None was injured as the incident occurred at around 10:00am, said the resident students of the two-storey dormitory, which was declared abandoned by Barisal City Corporation and Public Works Department more than a decade ago. The room of the dilapidated building was being used by around 50 students who are now residing at a temporary tin-shed house built by the college authorities adjacent to the abandoned hostel. Being informed, Principal Prof Nani Gopal Das visited the spot. He said they could not start construction of a new building by demolishing the abandoned one due to case filed by one Bablu Khan, claiming the ownership of the land. The case still remains pending with the court, he added. The college authorities will soon start constructing a dining-cum-TV room for the resident students of Surendra Chhatrabas at a place adjacent to the temporary hostel, the principal further said. Brojo Mohan College, one of the oldest educational institutions in the country, was established in 1886. Around 23,000 students are now studying in honours and master's classes. It has six dormitories--four for male and two for female--students. All the dorms are overcrowded. Campus sources said though more than 60 percent students attend their classes from outside the city, the number of students seeking seats at college hostels are on the rise. The college needs more dormitories to provide accommodation for the growing number of applicants, the sources added.
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