Safety crisis looms as college building in perilous state 

Alekanda Government College, situated in the aged premises of the 58-year-old Polytechnic Institute established during the Government of Pakistan era, has become a perilous learning environment for thousands of students. The historic structure, which underwent a transformation from a Commercial College to a General College in 2016, is now riddled with classroom crises and structural decay.

Reports indicate that students attending classes at Alekanda Government Collegeare living in constant fear due to the deteriorating condition of the building. Alarming incidents such as ceiling plaster falling on students during classes have occurred, raising serious safety concerns. Shockingly, college authorities have yet to take steps to secure a new academic building by applying to the relevant department.

The origins of this issue trace back to 1965 when the Commercial Institute of Barisal Polytechnic Institute began its journey within these two buildings. Over time, the Institute evolved, eventually separating from the Polytechnic and emerging as a Government Commercial Institute in 1981. On May 12, 2016, the government rebranded it as Alaikanda Government College.

Despite its historical significance, the current state of Alaikanda Government College's infrastructure is disheartening. The once-functional buildings are now crumbling, posing substantial risks to the college community. With a staff comprising 7 teachers, including the principal, 3 assistant professors, and 3 lecturers, and an additional 20 teachers attached to the institution, the lack of an updated organizational structure compounds the issues.

Presently, the college is grappling with a shortage of classrooms, as only 6 are available to accommodate approximately 1000 students. A dire need for 8 additional classrooms has arisen, exacerbating the already pressing classroom crisis. Even more concerning is the fact that the buildings lack functioning bathrooms on the third floor, and water leakage is a recurrent problem during rainfall.

Teachers and students have voiced their grievances, highlighting the urgent need for a new building to ensure the safety and well-being of all. Saima, a humanities department student, lamented the authorities' lack of action, noting that students are risking their lives to attend classes. Sayem, a science department student, shared a disturbing incident where two students were injured due to falling plaster during class.

Jahangir Hossain, executive engineer of the Directorate of Education and Engineering, Barisal, personally visited the college upon being informed of the hazardous conditions. He urged the principal to initiate the process of applying for a new building, emphasizing the critical nature of the situation.

Md. Shahdat Hossain Mridha, General Secretary of the College Officers (Teachers Parishad), stressed the need for immediate action, emphasizing the necessity of a new multi-storied building to address the myriad challenges the college faces.

In the ongoing discourse regarding this issue, Prof. Md. Masud Reza, the college principal, opted not to comment due to his current participation in training sessions in Dhaka.

Nonetheless, Sohrab Hossain, the Acting Principal and Associate Professor (Economics) of the college, expressed his viewpoint. He highlighted the advanced age and severely deteriorated state of the building, where plaster occasionally detaches. Notably, an unfortunate incident occurred on July 16, resulting in injuries to female students. Hossain emphasized the imperative of demolishing the existing structure and erecting a new one to avert the possibility of future occurrences of such nature.