Schoolchildren were made to stand in the scorching sun for nearly an hour to welcome Bidhan Ranjan Roy Poddar, Adviser to the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education, in Tangail on Sunday.
During the time, two students fell ill and collapsed. The incident occurred in the afternoon at Bagbari Choubari Government Primary School in Katuli union of Sadar upazila.
Sources said the adviser came here to inaugurate a new playground. From 1:10pm to 1:50pm, the students were lined up in the intense heat. A class 3 student became unwell, followed by another child, causing concern among fellow students and parents.
When the adviser arrived at 1:50pm, the children welcomed him, and the programme was shortened for the students, ending by 2:35pm.
Headteacher Afsar Uddin described the incident as regrettable, adding that the two students have recovered shortly. He noted that some students attended school without having breakfast, which could lead to such incidents.
District Primary Education Officer Sahab Uddin said it was unnecessary to make students stand in the sun beforehand, and the authorities had overlooked this issue.
Upazila Nirbahi Officer Shaheen Mia called the incident unfortunate, confirming that the two sick students were provided with immediate treatment, and the two students should not have been made to stand for so long.
The inaugural ceremony was chaired by Tangail Deputy Commissioner Sharifa Haque and attended by Secretary of the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education Abu Taher Md Masud Rana, Additional Divisional Commissioner Md Azmul Haq, Director General of the Ministry Abu Nur Md Shamsuzzaman, and other senior officials.
