Academic activities of at least 665 educational institutions have been suspended for the last 12 days across Sylhet division due to flooding.

Of those, 346 are government primary schools, according to the Sylhet Divisional Primary Education office.

The rest of the educational institutions are secondary and higher secondary schools, and colleges.

Those in the haor (wetland) areas are most affected.

Many of the educational institutions are currently being used as shelters for flood victims of the respective areas in Sylhet, Sunamgaj, Moulvibazar and Habiganj districts.

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Flood in North to continue for another week

In Sylhet, academic activities are suspended at 211 government primary schools, of which 84 are being used as shelters.

Also, activities are suspended in 283 secondary and higher secondary schools and colleges in the district, of which 237 are serving as shelters for flood victims, said Abu Sayeed Md Abdul Wadud, secondary education officer in Sylhet.

In Moulvibazar, 108 primary and 36 secondary schools remain closed, of which 69 are being used as shelters, said Mohammad Fazlur Rahman, secondary education officer in the district.

Moulvibazar Secondary Education Officer Mohammad Fazlur Rahman said floodwaters have persisted without receding, resulting in the closure of activities in 36 secondary educational institutions.

Visiting different schools in the flood-affected areas, this correspondent saw the school compounds submerged under knee-deep water entering the classrooms, emanating a putrid odour and damaging the furniture inside including tables, chairs and benches.

Jalal Uddin, deputy director of the Directorate of Primary Education in Sylhet, assured that once flood recedes, the schools that sustained damage will be repaired and renovated before academic activities are resumed.

Swapan Kumar Baidya, headteacher of Chilarkandi Government Primary School in Kulaura upazila of Moulviazar, said, "Our school is located near the haor, where floodwater is receding very slowly. It may take several more days for floodwater to retreat completely from the school premises. Even then, it will take several more days to clean the compound before classes can resume."