Garbage dump along Kapasia school wall makes attending classes unbearable

Teachers and students at Bangataj Tajuddin Adarsha High School in Kapasia, Gazipur, are struggling to carry on with day-to-day activities due to a garbage dump that has emerged directly beside the school premises, with foul odour and an unhealthy environment disrupting academic activities and prompting parents and local residents to demand immediate action.

During a visit to the area this morning, The Daily Star witness waste being dumped along the school's southern boundary, which runs along the Kapasia-Sreepur regional road.

Piles of garbage have accumulated near at least thirteen classroom windows and adjacent to the students' playground. The waste comprises rotten vegetables from local markets, leftover food from restaurants, poultry waste and trash from households.

Students are being compelled to attend classes amid unbearable odour and excessive heat. Many complained that the stench makes concentrating on studies difficult, while some reported experiencing nausea and discomfort during lessons.

School office assistant Azmal Islam said the waste is dumped under the cover of darkness.

Nazrul Islam, whose child studies in the school, expressed concern that continued dumping would pose grave health risks to children and called for the waste to be removed immediately.

Local resident Mamun Mia noted that even passing along the road had become difficult owing to the stench, and questioned how such a dump could have developed beside a school and other public facilities.

Headmaster Md Saiful Islam said he was shocked to discover the dump near the school and that he has already informed higher authorities of the matter.

Upazila Secondary Education Officer Mohammad Abdul Arif Sarkar said he had not yet been informed of the issue but would investigate and coordinate with the local administration to take the necessary steps.

Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Tamanna Tasnim, meanwhile, assured that the matter would be investigated promptly and that necessary measures would be taken to remove the waste and resolve the problem.