A ninth-grade student drowned while bathing with friends in a school pond in Phulbari, Dinajpur, on Wednesday afternoon. The tragic incident occurred at Golam Mostafa (GM) Pilot High School.
The deceased, Biplob Kumar, was the son of Bijon Chandra from Gokul village and a student in the school’s vocational branch.
Local sources report that Biplob and his classmates went into the pond after school hours. When his friends realized he had slipped under the water, they immediately alerted teachers and locals. After an initial, unsuccessful search by residents, the Fire Service was called. A joint rescue operation finally recovered his body at 6:30 PM, nearly five hours later.
The incident has sparked anger among parents and locals. Many blame weakened school administration and poor supervision for the tragedy, claiming better oversight could have prevented the student's death.
Acting Headmaster Sameer Chandra responded to the complaints, explaining that the school was officially closed that day to mourn the sudden death of a staff member. He stated that the boys went to the pond after the closure was announced, and the school promptly contacted the Fire Service once notified of the emergency.
The Phulbari Fire Service Station in-charge noted that the rescue was significantly delayed because the station lacks trained divers—a common issue in areas not immediately surrounded by major rivers.
The untimely death has cast a deep shadow of mourning over Gokul village, leaving the victim's family and the local community devastated.
