The residents of the Kharjani char on the Brahmaputra River in Gaibandha have been deprived of the light of education for more than two decades due to the lack of schools. Children from more than a hundred families in this char have been growing up completely deprived of the light of education since birth, in the darkness of extreme illiteracy. Recently, the issue came to the attention of members of the child protection program. They are trying to teach the alphabet by setting up a temporary tent there. However, that too has stalled in the face of various obstacles, including infrastructure.
It is known that an isolated hamlet, Kharjani Char, in Sadar, bordering Gaibandha Sadar and Fulchhari Upazilas, is located on the banks of the mighty Brahmaputra. More than a hundred families have been living there for more than two centuries, fighting against nature.
The only means of communication between this char and the mainland, which is separated by a river, is by boat, which takes a long time. And due to this extreme geographical distance, there is no provision for even the minimum level of primary education for the children of this char. As a result, an illiterate generation is being created here year after year.
The guardians said that due to the lack of any government or non-government initiative, no educational institution has been established here for a long time. Therefore, even if they want to study, they are afraid to send their tender children by boat on the long river journey. For this reason, they cannot provide them with education.
Local resident Zillur Rahman said that of those who have relatives on the other side of the char, only one or two children are receiving education, while the rest are being deprived of education. This is how children of more than a hundred families in this char remain illiterate.
Recently, this long-standing deprivation came to the attention of the district members of the UNICEF Child Protection Program of the Department of Social Services. In collaboration with a local NGO, they are trying to teach the alphabet to children of different ages by setting up a temporary tent in the pasture.
This alphabet teaching is being done by the volunteer work of two teachers from that char. The learning is going on sitting on the ground under the open sky in the harsh weather of intense sun, dust and storms. The deprived children of the char are happy that the educational program has been started in the char after a long time.
Teacher Md. Jahangir Alam said they are trying to teach children of different ages the alphabet by setting up tents and sitting them together in an open field.
Md. Shafiqur Rahman Khan, CPSW of Gaibandha Child Protection Program, said that while doing some office work recently, they came to know about the deprivation of education of the children of that char. After that, they are trying to teach them the alphabet by setting up tents with the help of a local volunteer organization and the administration.
Gaibandha Sadar Upazila Nirbahi Officer Sabuj Kumar Basak said that he was not aware of the matter as he had joined recently. Everyone has the right to education, so arrangements will be made for the education of young children as soon as possible.
There are currently more than a hundred students suitable for primary education in Kharjani Char in Kamarjani Union of Sadar Upazila.