No student should die over school expenses

A complaint has been raised that an eighth-grade student named Mahfuzur Rahman from Pirgachha, Rangpur, committed suicide due to his inability to pay the exam fee. This news is heartbreaking. It is shocking and deeply disturbing. Education is a fundamental human right. After crossing two-thirds of the 21st century, why are we still reading such painful news in our newspapers? What, then, is the value of all our education and development? Mahfuz's suicide raises questions about our entire civilization.

According to reports published in the media, this incident took place on Sunday (December 8) afternoon. The following morning, the police recovered the student's body and sent it to the morgue of Rangpur Medical College Hospital for an autopsy. In connection with the incident, the student's father has filed a case against the school's office assistant Amir Ali and assistant teacher Jahangir Alam on charges of inciting suicide.

According to the police, the deceased's relatives, and local residents, Mahfuzur Rahman appeared for the ongoing eighth-grade annual exams in five subjects without paying the required exam fees. On Sunday morning, he went to sit for the mathematics exam without having paid the fee. As per the rules, Mahfuzur Rahman joined the exam with his classmates at 10 AM. However, during the exam, he was expelled from the classroom for not paying the exam fee.

Then, office assistant Amir Hossain took Mahfuzur Rahman to the headmaster's room. There, assistant teachers Jahangir Alam and Abdul Hannan humiliated Mahfuzur Rahman for not paying the examination fee and not registering for eighth grade. Unable to bear this humiliation, Mahfuzur Rahman went to his house that day and committed suicide by hanging himself with a crossbeam in the bedroom.

We demand a thorough investigation into this incident. If the allegations are proven true, we insist on appropriate punishment for those responsible. This is not the first such tragedy. Previously, Sathi Akhter, an eighth-grade student of Chandpur Bagadi Gani High School, took her own life over a mere 80 taka. Many similar incidents may have gone unnoticed or unreported, never making it to the newspapers.

The struggle of not being able to pay regular school fees and examination fees is a painful reality for many students. Along with this financial burden comes the experience of humiliation. This is because the educational institutions in our country are not student-friendly. Many of these institutions seem more focused on commercial gain than on fostering education.

The struggle of not being able to pay regular school fees and examination fees is a painful reality for many students. Along with this financial burden comes the experience of humiliation. This is because the educational institutions in our country are not student-friendly. Many of these institutions seem more focused on commercial gain than on fostering education.

Furthermore, the allocation for our education sector is alarmingly low, and the amount of stipend provided is inadequate. Many students come from poor families and may be able to attend some government schools at a low cost, but the quality of education there is often subpar. On the other hand, private schools demand high fees in exchange for slightly better education, making it unaffordable for many.

Mahfuzur Rahman has not only caused us immense pain, but also deep shame. He has exposed the fragility and inhumanity of our education system. If children attend schools to grow into responsible human beings, yet are forced to endure shameful conditions for a meager salary, it reflects a failure on all of us. We urge everyone involved in the education sector to understand this reality. No other teenager should feel driven to suicide because they cannot afford their school fees, exam fees, or because of humiliation.

Mahfuzur Rahman has not only caused us immense pain, but also deep shame. He has exposed the fragility and inhumanity of our education system. If children attend schools to grow into responsible human beings, yet are forced to endure shameful conditions for a meager tuition fee, it reflects a failure on all of us. We urge everyone involved in the education sector to understand this reality. No other teenager should feel driven to suicide because they cannot afford their school fees, exam fees, or because of humiliation.