Bogra parks safe haven for truants

The parks of Bogra town have turned into meeting places of students of educational institutions of the town during class hours, thanks to the indifference of the authorities and guardians.

A good number of students of schools, colleges and even madrasas pass their time in those parks instead of attending classes.

On a visit to Municipality Park, Palace Museum, Wonder Land and other parks, this correspondent saw at least 200 students passing their time in different ways, while their parents and guardians think they are in their educational institutions or taking private tuition in their teachers' homes.

A student of Class XI of Government Azizul Haque College, said she came to the park in uniform to meet her cousin.

A student of Class VII in Pouro High School said he came to meet a friend for taking a book, but did not say why he was missing classes wearing his school dress.

Faiza Begum of Sutrapur area said she comes to the park everyday for walking and is astonished at the presence of a huge number of students there during school time.

Ziaur Rahman, who sells toys in the park, said the number of students in the park increases during school hours.

A guardian of a student of Bogra Girls' School Abdul Momin said they cannot watch their children all the time during school hours.

Headmistress of Bogra Government Girls' School Rabeya Khatun said the students of the school have no chance of going out of the school as the main gate is shut during classes, adding that students might go to parks after the classes end.

Additional Deputy Commissioner (Education) of Bogra Sufia Nazim said she will inform the authorities of the education department in the district about the matter.