March 11, 2024
DHAKA – A school has been built in Bandarban’s Alikadam Sena Zone aiming to keep the near-extinct Rengmitchya language alive and also to educate the children of the region.
The ‘Rengmitchya language’ of Bandarban’s Alikadam is nearly extinct. Only seven people speak this language. They are all in their sixties, reports our Bandarban correspondent.
After coming into the limelight through various media, “Krang Shi Para Sena Maitri Primary School” was built by Bangladesh Army.
Brig Gen Golam Mohiuddin Ahmed, regional commander of 69 Infantry Division, inaugurated the school around 12:00pm today. He said he came to know about the language through media reports and that inspired his to take initiative to set up the school.
Chingrao Mro, newly-appointed headmaster of the primary school, said, “I have been teaching my children at home to keep our Rengmitchya language alive. Although the neighbourhood residents and families of Rengmitchya speakers wanted to build a school, they could not due to financial instability. The school has been built on the initiative of the Bangladesh Army. Through this school, I can teach Bengali language as well as Rengmitchya language to the children of the new generation.”
The school has been given educational materials, sports materials, and medical assistance was provided to the residents of Krangsi neighbourhood at the time.
Newly appointed Bandarban Region Commander Brig Gen Mehdi Hasan, Zone Commander of Alikadam Army Zone Lt Col Shawkatul Monayem, Officer-in-Charge of Alikadam Police Station Khandaker Tabidur Rahman, residents of Krangsi neighborhood, and students of the newly-constructed school were present at the time.