Heatwave: At least 10 students fall ill in classrooms in Barishal, Cumilla

"In the classroom, I was experiencing stomach aches, headaches, and nausea due to the extreme heat. I was unable to see anything clearly."

Tasnin, a 6th grader at Jagadish Saraswat Girls School and College in Barishal, described her discomfort amidst today's (29 April) scorching temperatures.

Three students of the school including Tasnin have fallen ill in the classroom due to the sweltering heat this afternoon.

Kawsar Hossain, assistant teacher of the school, said, "40 students were attending classes in a classroom. Following a power outage in the afternoon, one student from class VI and two students from class VII fell ill due to the extreme heat."

Later, the students were sent home, he added.

Meanwhile, two other students fell ill at Kuakata Bangabandhu Secondary School in Kalapara Upazila of Patuakhali district. 

The head teacher of the school, Md Khalilur Rahman, said two sixth graders - Eamon Ichha and Karima Akhtar – fell sick in the classroom today.

He emphasised the challenges of conducting classes amidst intense heat. 

"While two students fell ill today, the number may rise in the future. Uninterrupted power supply alleviates the heat but when power outages occur, conducting classes becomes increasingly challenging," said the teacher.

He strongly advocated for uninterrupted electricity supply to schools to facilitate effective teaching and learning.

On the other hand, seven students of a school in Muradnagar upazila of Cumilla have fallen ill due to the extreme heat.

Head teacher Masuda Akhter of Taymos Begum High School said some students fell ill during class and they were later sent back to home with their parents.

The school was then declared closed for the day following communication with the district secondary education officer.