No Government Primary School in Two Villages, Over 200 Children Walk 2km to School

Tarail (Kishoreganj) Upazila Correspondent

There are no government primary schools in Idilpur and Banduldia villages under Taljanga Union of Tarail upazila in Kishoreganj. More than 200 children from the two villages, home to over 5,000 people, have to travel nearly two kilometres every day to attend the nearby Kundrati and Kartikhila government primary schools.

Locals allege that despite demanding the establishment of a government primary school midway between the two villages for a long time, no effective initiative has yet been taken.

Children Face Greater Hardship During Monsoon

Children face much greater difficulties travelling to school through muddy roads during the monsoon. As a result, they often arrive late at school, seriously disrupting their attendance in classes.

As there are no government primary schools in the two villages, many parents are forced to enrol their children in nearby private kindergartens. This deprives them of the opportunity to study free of cost at government schools and forces their families to bear additional monthly expenses, including tuition fees.

Elderly Banduldia residents Haji Ramzan Ali, retired teacher Master Motiur Rahman and Md. Abdul Quddus Bhuiyan said they had dreamed of establishing a government primary school in their village for many years. They said, “At this stage of our lives, seeing a school established for the children of our village would be our greatest joy.”

Locals said they had submitted written applications to the relevant offices several times demanding the establishment of a primary school in the village. Abdul Quddus of Idilpur village first submitted an application to the Secretary of the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education on November 21, 2024. Later, Shah Abul Hashem (Manik), a resident of Banduldia village and a retired Cadet College official, submitted another application with the same demand on September 2, 2025. However, no visible progress has been made despite the passage of so much time since the applications were submitted.

Sadikul Islam Niyogi Panni, a resident of Idilpur village and a producer at Bangladesh Television, said establishing a government primary school midway between the two villages would make educational opportunities and transportation much easier for the children.

Tarail Upazila Education Officer Enamul Haque said a school midway between Idilpur and Banduldia is genuinely necessary. However, there is currently no scope for establishing new government primary schools. If villagers wish, they can establish a kindergarten, and the necessary administrative assistance will be provided in this regard.

Considering the educational needs of more than 200 students from the two villages, locals have strongly demanded swift and effective measures. They said that even if establishing a government primary school is not currently possible, immediate steps should be taken to establish a quality alternative educational institution to ease the children’s hardship.