Neglected Lakshmipur village cries for development, basic amenities

Over 3,000 residents of Dakshin Andharmanik village in Teariganj union under Lakshmipur Sadar upazila are up in arms due to the severe lack of development and basic amenities in their community.

Despite receiving electricity under the government's 100% electrification scheme five years ago, the village has seen no significant progress over the past several decades.

The absence of a government primary school within a four-kilometre radius has deprived children of education opportunities. Additionally, there is a lack of facilities for even first aid in the village spreading over a 5-kilometre area, which puts the villagers' health at risk.

The village lacks well-constructed roads, making travel difficult, especially during the monsoon season. The village's only road which is unpaved, hindered by a 7-8 feet high culvert, has become a barrier to communication and rapid transportation, isolating the village from the rest of the region.

Furthermore, Dakshin Andharmanik is home to nine brick kilns and has become a safe haven for thefts and robberies, contributing to an unstable law and order situation.

Villagers expressed their disappointment, stating that no public representatives have ever visited their village, including the union parishad chairman, upazila chairman, or any member of parliament. The lack of attention from authorities has left them feeling marginalised and ignored.

Amidst the neglect in education and development, the villagers have decided to take action. In a display of frustration, they have announced their plans to besiege the Lakshmipur deputy commissioner's office. Their demands include the construction of proper roads and the establishment of government primary schools to ensure better educational opportunities for their children.

Several villagers shared their grievances, highlighting the dire circumstances.

Farmer Md Noman emphasised that the village's roads have been neglected for the past 40 years, with no maintenance or repairs.

Rickshaw driver Hasan lamented the absence of a government primary school, forcing many children to miss out on education.

The only privately-run primary school, established through local donations, is struggling due to a lack of financial support.

One resident, Md Shamsul Alam Kabul, revealed that his father Akhtaruzzaman who was an unschooled person donated a 50-decimal land to establish a school for the education of their future generations. The villagers, mainly farmers and labourers, established the Dakshin Andharmanik A Zaman Non-government Primary School on the plot of land 33 years ago and have been running it with their donations. 

Despite many similar schools being nationalised across the country, their school has been overlooked and continues to struggle, Kabul added.

The head teacher of the school, Md Lutfar Rahman, stated that the teachers have been working without salaries for an extended period, and their requests for assistance have been repeatedly ignored by local authorities. 

Additionally, a storm in 2019 damaged the school's tin canopy, but efforts to seek help from the union parishad chairman, upazila chairman, upazila nirbahi officer, and deputy commissioner were in vain.

A local named Commander Mohammad Ullah drew attention to the broken culvert on the village's only unpaved road, which hampers transportation for rickshaws and bicycles. This lack of infrastructure further adds to the villagers' difficulties.

Another resident, Md Aiman, highlighted the rising incidents of thefts, robberies, and kidnappings, along with a deteriorating law and order situation.

Mohammad Siraj Uddin, chairman of the A Zaman Non-government Primary School managing committee, expressed his frustration and disappointment.

He compared their struggling village to the village of Hossainpur in the same union, which has recently been declared the maiden smart village in Lakhimpur, and questioned the glaring disparity and lack of attention from authorities.

In response to the villagers' concerns, Teariganj Union Parishad Chairman Omar Farooq Ibn Hossain claimed that he had attempted to include the South Andharmanik A Zaman Primary School in a list for the Local Governance Support Project but was overruled by the upazila project implementation office (PIO).

Meanwhile, Sadar Upazila Parishad Chairman AKM Salah Uddin Tipu told TBS that he was unaware of the village's issues until now and vowed to visit the area promptly and make decisions regarding the road and school.