Desk Report
Schoolchildren living in Korail slum area of the capital are facing great difficulties in reaching their schools in the absence of boat service.
Locals said sufferings of schoolchildren know no bounds as they have to walk several kilometres along the bank of Banani lake to reach Gulshan bridge point, a destination that they earlier could have reached within five minutes by boat.
The boat service, which had been operating between Korail area and Gulshan bridge for more than 20 years, was suspended two years ago after the Holey Artisan Bakery attack.
When the service was available, students of Mohakhali Model High School used to cross Banani lake by boat and then walked only some five minutes to reach their school.
But now they have to walk more than 30 minutes to reach their school from Korail Adarsha Nagar or Bou Bazar area.
Many students said it is very difficult to walk on muddy road during the rainy season.
Parents of some students told the daily sun that their children cannot attend schools in time due to lack of boat service while many others do not want to go to schools.
According to locals, every day 47 boats used to operate on Banani lake from Korail area to Gulshan bridge. It took only five minutes to cross the lake at that time.
People now have to walk 20 to 30 minutes to reach Gulshan bridge from Korail area without the boat service.
Local administration stopped the boat service from Korail area to Gulshan bridge more than two years ago. Some boatman tried to operate the boat service but police arrested them and seized their boats.
Talking to the daily sun, Mehedi Hasan, a student of class six of Mohakhali Model High School, said, “I used to go to school regularly when the boat service was available. Now I have to walk a long road to go to school.”
“During the rainy season, the road became muddy. That’s why I have lost interest in going to school. I often could not attend school during the rainy season,” he added.
He said, “I think the boat service only for students can be run here in the morning, afternoon and evening. Then it will be easy for us to go to school.”
Wahid Mia, a boatman of Korail area to Gulshan bridge, said, “I used to run a boat on the route for about 20 years. Suddenly local police stopped the service. Then, we tried to operate boat but many of our co-workers were arrested. Finally, the boat service was stopped.”
“Around 100 boatmen, including me who used to run the family expenditure with the earning, became unemployed. Now I am selling tea for my livelihood,” he added.
Parul, a resident of Korail Adarsha Nagar area, said, “People who used to go to school and do job regularly are the worst sufferers.”
She urged the authorities concerned to run the boat service again, at least for the school- and office-goers in the morning and evening.
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