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How a holiday goes down the drain

Star Report
You probably would not find a single person who does not look forward to enjoying the holiday after a week of hard work - a chance to get away from the stresses and strains of everyday life.
For students, the weekly holiday is even more precious. During the break, they get an opportunity to enjoy some time off from studies and school activities, helping them recharge and refocus for the next week.
But this is not the case for students of some secondary schools in Benapole and Navaron areas under Sharsha upaziia of Jessore, as students of the institutes -- mostly females - had to participate in separate human chains in their respective areas on Friday last wearing school uniforms.
The school authorities asked the students to join the human chains on Jessore-Benapole highway to express solidarity with the demand for widening the road by cutting century-old trees.
Roasting under the scorching sun, the students had to remain at the programme for around two hours since 10:00am, reports our Benapole correspondent. Even, some of them were seen carrying banners of a local nongovernment organisation in Navaron Bazar area.
The human chains were formed marking a visit to the highway by the delegation of the parliamentary standing committee on the road transport and bridges ministry. The five-member delegation and local lawmakers visited the Jessore-Benapole road to talk to the locals about the road's extension.
Talking to The Daily Star, several students said their
teachers had asked them to take part in the human chain on Friday.
"We have participated in the programme as per the direction of our teachers," one of the students said.
However, Ibrahim Khalil, principal of Navaron College, claimed that some students had taken part out of curiosity. Students of his college also participated in the gathering.
People in the areas demand the renovation of the road as early as possible, he added.
But a video clip of the human chain clearly shows that the students have taken part in the human in an organised manner.
Asked, headteacher of a secondary school in Benapole, on condition of anonymity, said they want construction of the road too. That's why, they asked the students to join the human chain there, he said.
Talking to The Daily Star yesterday, Hafizur Rahman Chowdhury, upazila secondary education officer of Sharsha, said bringing the students to the human chain on a weekly holiday does not sound logical.
"I get to know about the incident through Facebook. I will investigate it tomorrow [today]. Then, I will inform the higher authorities to take a decision in this regard," he said.
Students can take part in such an event as per their desire, but asking them to participate in a programme outside their campus was not right, he told the newspaper.
In March 2017, the Roads and Highways Department (RHD) in Jessore decided to cut down 2,700 trees, many of those century-old, from both sides of Benapole-Jessore highway for widening the road.
In the backdrop of protest from many green organisations and environmentalists against the decision, the High Court in January this year halted the decision of felling the trees for six months.
In a statement, the court said the government can continue development work of the road, but without chopping down the trees from there.
Amid protest and the court's order, the government delegation visited the road on Friday and talked to the local people to understand their views.