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City back to schooldays on a nervous note

SABRINA KARIM MURSHED
The city is back to schooldays again. The morning roads got cluttered up yesterday with vehicles scooting children as most schools resumed their normal classes after a long spate of hartals and student strike.
But a sense of insecurity still prevails among guardians and teachers.
Schools shut down last week as the opposition parties called hartals protesting the grenade attack on an Awami League rally on August 21. Also, Bangladesh Chhatra League enforced a student strike from August 22, which was withdrawn on Thursday.
Few schools opened on Thursday and student turn-up was low.
"I took my son to school on Thursday as I heard on the television news bulletin on Wednesday night that the strike had been withdrawn," said Syeda Fatema Zohra, mother of Nazid Murshed, a student of class four of Mastermind.
Yesterday was a heartening sight with students in school dress and guardians crowding the school gates.
"We are still scared. The situation does not allow anyone to relax once they send their kids to school," said Shazia Afrin, mother of Samin Akber, a student of London Grace International School. "I cannot consider school as a safe place for my son because of bomb threats. But I cannot keep him home forever."
At the entrance to Mohammedpur Preparatory Higher Secondary School, Anisa Begum was about to break into tears. Guardians sent their children to the school without knowing the authorities received a bomb threat the night before. Police were informed but ended finding nothing.
The school has posted a notice on the
gate yesterday announcing that no one --visitors or guardians -- is allowed to enter the institution.
"If I knew about the bomb threat, I would not have sent my son to school," said Farhana Islam. "Now I want to take my child home but the authorities would not allow it."
"We have become hostage to criminals," grumbled Alamgir Hossain,
father of two daughters studying in the Mohammadpur Preparatory School.
However, Azhar Ali, chairman of the school, said police carried out a routine check. He admitted that there was a hoax bomb threat.
Many schools have beefed up security. Saint Francis Xavier's Green Herald International School has police forces deployed on its premises.
"We feel a little shaky after what happened to the school in Russia," said a member of school.
Other schools such as Scholastica increased the number of security personnel. "Earlier, we had two or three gatekeepers. But now the authorities have employed professional security personnel," said a teacher of the school.
Above everything, the schools are
worried about making up lost lessons because of the unexpected closure. Most schools have decided to take extra classes on weekends and other holidays to make up the academic losses.
"We have to compensate for the loss anyhow," said Professor Nurul Alam, chairman of European Standard School. He said guardians should not unnecessarily panic.