The Rangpur division has witnessed massive infrastructural uplifts in the education sector for improved academic facilities spending about Tk 13.31 billion in over 4,000 educational institutions in the last ten years.
The Education Engineering Department (EED) executed the uplifts under 17 projects providing facilities like new academic buildings, computers, digital equipments and multimedia classrooms helping students to easily understand lessons.
Officials in EED, district administration, Local Government Department and educational institutions said huge infrastructural developments have brought a revolutionary change in the education sector in all eight districts of Rangpur division.
Executive Engineer of EED Md Asaduzzaman said infrastructural uplifts done at Tk 13.31 billion have significantly enhanced academic facilities improving quality of education in the secondary and higher secondary levels.
“The students are getting better facilities for academic activities in their educational institutions of Rangpur, Kurigram, Gaibandha, Lalmonirhat, Nilphamari, Panchagarh, Thakurgaon and Dinajpur districts in the division,” he said.
Infrastructural developments were completed in 602 secondary and higher secondary level educational institutions and Begum Rokeya University in the region at the cost of over Tk 3.37 billion in last ten years.
“Following construction of four academic buildings, three residential halls and other infrastructures at over Tk 760 million in Begum Rokeya University, the opportunity for higher education has brightened there,” Asaduzzaman said.
Similarly, EED has constructed four-storey academic buildings of 154 non-government colleges at over Tk 1.4 billion, 107 secondary schools at over Tk 510 million and 20 madrasas at over Tk 120 million in Rangpur district.
“We have constructed four-storey academic buildings to convert 14 non-government schools into model schools at about Tk 75 million and one academic building and two hostels for female students at Carmichael College at about Tk 150 million,” he added.
Besides, construction of toilet blocks, ICT Resource Centres, boundary walls, roads, laboratories, workshops and renovation works were completed spending about Tk 345 million in different educational institutions in the district.
Talking to reporters, Principal of Mazida Khatun Mohila College in Rangpur AKM Sharifuzzaman, said EED has constructed a five-storey academic building with digitised ICT and IT facilities improving learning facilities in the institution.
Science group intermediate students Asha Moni and Ishraat of the college said their new institution with 30 computers in laboratory and 11 multimedia projectors have improved academic facilities.
In addition, Principal of Lalkuthi Girls’ School and College in the city Abdur Rouf Sarker, said EED has constructed a five-storey academic building with digitised ICT and IT facilities improving education facilities in the institution.
Intermediate students Rubina and Sheuly of the college said they are able to derive lessons easily from multimedia classrooms and accessing information on internet using computers at the laboratory.
Students Aklima and Roksana of intermediate level at Kanthalbari Degree College in Kurigram said they are easily learning now through digitised multi-media projector facilities in new classrooms.
Deputy Commissioner of Kurigram Sultana Pervin said massive infrastructural uplifts in the education sector have improved academic facilities and quality of education in all nine upazilas of Kurigram district.
Divisional Director (Local Government) Zakir Hossain said infrastructural developments in the education sector in last ten years substantially improved academic atmosphere and facilities and quality of education all over Rangpur division, reports BSS.
“Infrastructural developments are still being implemented by EDD to further improve academic facilities of other educational institutions in the division,” Zakir added.