Three-storey madrasa building tilts after riverbank collapse in Jashore

A three-storey building of a Fazil (Degree) Madrasa in Jashore's Manirampur upazila has tilted towards the Harihar River after the riverbank collapsed, raising fears that the structure could fall into the river.

The madrasa, established in 1974 on privately owned land in Mohanpur area of the municipality, stands along the bank of the Harihar River.

According to madrasa authorities and officials, soil beneath the foundation of the building was washed away after a recently excavated section of the riverbank collapsed under water pressure. Cracks have since developed in the building's beams, walls, floors and other parts.

Considering the risks, the authorities have stopped using the building and shifted classes elsewhere.

The Education Engineering Department (EED) constructed the ground floor of the building in 2012 with a foundation designed for five storeys. Two more floors were added in 2022.

The ground floor housed the madrasa's administrative offices, while classrooms were located on the second and third floors.

The Harihar River, which flows behind the building, was re-excavated in January.

Madrasa Principal Md Shahidullah said the riverbank had collapsed, causing soil beneath the rear portion of the building's foundation to wash away.

"The building has already tilted towards the river. Cracks have also appeared in the floors, walls, beams and roof," he said.

Assistant Commissioner (Land) Mahir Dayan Amin visited the site on Tuesday and said the district administration had been informed about the damaged building.

A team of officials, including Jashore Executive Engineer Hadiuzzaman Khan, inspected the site on Monday.

Following the inspection, the executive engineer said the riverbank behind the madrasa had been cut almost vertically instead of maintaining a proper slope. As a result, water pressure caused the bank to collapse and soil beneath the building's foundation to give way.

As cracks have developed in several parts of the structure, the building has been declared highly vulnerable, he added.

He said the riverbank needed to be reconstructed urgently with protective piling. An application seeking funds for the work has already been sent to the chief engineer of the Education Engineering Department.

Assistant Professor Muhibullah Monu, president of the madrasa's governing body, said students had been moved out of the building as a precaution and classes were being held elsewhere.

Jashore Sub-divisional Engineer Ashraful Alam said immediate protective piling was necessary to reconstruct and stabilise the collapsed riverbank.