Five child students, along with teacher Ruma Akter, were injured when a classroom floor collapsed four feet at Pirojpur Government Primary School in Ajmiriganj upazila, Habiganj. The accident occurred around 1 p.m. Monday when a large section of the classroom floor suddenly gave way during a fourth-grade class.
The accident immediately raised serious questions about the overall safety and construction quality of the school building. School authorities say it isn’t just this classroom — nearly every room in the building has an extremely unsafe floor. Teachers say the dangerous situation arose because construction was done without adequate soil fill beneath the floors, leaving them hollow underneath.
According to teachers and witnesses, a fourth-grade class was under way at midday when a student noticed a sudden crack in the floor tiles and reported it to the teacher on duty. Before anyone could react, a section of the floor collapsed roughly four feet within moments. Several child students who were standing there fell directly into the resulting hole and were injured. Teacher Ruma Akter was also injured after falling in while trying to protect the students.
Local residents and other teachers later helped rescue the injured and take them to Ajmiriganj Upazila Health Complex, where they received initial treatment.
Among the injured students are Rahim Badsha, Abdul Mannan Mia, Mozakkir Mia and Ajinur Mia. One additional student was also reported injured in the incident.
Describing the incident, the school’s head teacher, Sabutar Nesa, said the floor suddenly gave way four feet during the fourth-grade class. She said the accident occurred because there wasn’t enough soil fill beneath the floor. “Nearly every room in my school is in the same condition — the entire building is now extremely unsafe,” she said. “After the collapse, panicked parents took their children home. We aren’t sure whether students will even come to school tomorrow.”
Injured teacher Ruma Akter said the floor collapsed within seconds of a student mentioning the crack in the tiles. “I fell along with the students and was injured. It was a terrifying experience,” she said.
News of the floor collapse spread quickly, causing widespread panic among students and parents. Many parents rushed to the school and took their children home safely. Parents have expressed concern that resuming classes without a full structural safety inspection of the building could lead to a larger loss of life or further accidents.
Jasim Uddin Chowdhury, acting upazila executive officer of Ajmiriganj, said, “I am aware of the matter. The injured received initial treatment at the upazila health complex. An education officer and an LGED engineer have already been sent to inspect the site. Legal and other necessary action will be taken once their investigation report is received.”