Naogaon Correspondent:
For two weeks, 50 stalls have been set up in the school grounds, surrounded by tin and wood. There are shops selling clothes, food, toys, jewelry and household essentials, rides like Nagardola, boats, dragons etc. The fair is going on from morning till midnight. However, nothing has been informed to the president of the school management committee about this. Administrative permission has not been obtained. Although the banner of the fair says “Naogaon District Police in total cooperation”, even the higher-ups of the police do not know anything about this.
Since last Tuesday (December 2), the main gate of Naogaon High School, the heart of Naogaon town, has been closed and a month-long “Winter Clothes and Industrial Products Fair” has been set up in the school grounds. Students are travelling via alternative routes. Even without permission, a ticket of 20 taka has to be paid to enter the fair.
Rajshahi Shilpa & Banarasi Jamdani Event Management Company is the organizer. From the time of the fair decoration to the start of the fair, the students’ education has been severely disrupted during this annual examination. The school authorities could not give any answer as to why they went to such a self-destructive act. The students are very angry about the matter. And the parents are worried about the quality of their children’s education. There are debates and rumors in various quarters about this. They have expressed their concern about how the fair will be held when the school is open until December 15.
Rahidul Islam, the owner of the organizing organization, said that the school principal has given written permission to organize the fair, and an application has been made for permission from the district administration.
Hat-Naogaon High School Principal S.M. Nazmul Hasan said, “Permission has been given to hold the fair on the school grounds at the request of the elite persons of the area, especially the president and secretary of the Prabha Sangsad. The school president has been informed verbally.”
The president of the school management committee, Naogaon Additional District Magistrate Jannat Ara Tithi, told Sangba Dikder, “The headmaster cannot give permission to hold a fair on the school grounds. He has not informed anything about this.”
Naogaon Police Superintendent Mohammad Tariqul Islam told reporters, “The district police has no involvement with that fair. The banners have been asked to be taken down.” Naogaon Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Saiful Islam told reporters, “An application has been received regarding the fair. The approval process is underway.”