The managing committee chairman of Bhaina Shaheed Mosharraf-Dalil Uddin High School in Harinakundo upazila under the district has taken a noble initiative to prevent dropouts and early marriage of the girl students, especially those coming from distant places.

The chairman, Saidul Karim Minto, also mayor of Jhenidah Sadar municipality, yesterday provided 15 bicycles among as many girl students at a programme in presence of Harinakundo Upazila Nirbahi Officer Monira Parvin, Upazila Secondary Education Officer Sultan Ali, among others, on the school premises.  

Earlier on January 14, he gave two bicycles to two girls of the school.

"I will provide more bicycles for the girl students," said Minto.

This school, 15 kilometres from Harinakundo upazila headquarters, was established in 1985, said headmaster Abdur Razzak.

"Now 627 students are enrolled with the school and 60 percent of them are girls.

In the last year, 109 students appeared at the SSC examinations and all of them passed, nine obtaining GPA-5," he said.

"A good number of girl students, who have to cover four to five kilometres on foot to come to school, fail to attend classes regularly. Due to the situation, a section of guardians tend to marry their daughters off at a tender age. Last year, 14 underage girl students of my school were married off.

"The managing committee chairman has taken the initiative to provide bicycles to girl students to ease their communication and save them from early marriage and dropout," the headmaster said.

Feroza Khatun, a Class X student of the school, said she is very happy to get a bicycle as it will help her to attend school with ease. 

Appreciating the initiative, Mohi Uddin, a guardian, said it will encourage the girls to continue their study.