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Wednesday | September 23, 2026 | Dhaka

51 Kalkini schools show-caused over anomalies in feeding prog

 Madaripur Correspondent
 Published: 12:01 AM, 23 September 2026

Allegations of irregularities regarding the distribution of food under the ‘School Feeding Programme’ have surfaced in government primary schools in Kalkini upazila of Madaripur district.

Following this, the District Primary Education Officer issued show-cause notices to 51 primary schools in the upazila. However, the Upazila Primary Education Officer has raised objections, questioning the justification for these notices.

A public disagreement has emerged between the district and upazila education administrations over this matter.

According to relevant sources, an investigation was conducted following allegations of irregularities in the distribution of food under the programme which aims to ensure student nutrition and boost attendance. After the investigation, a letter signed by Madaripur District Primary Education Officer Fazle Elahi on September 7 issued show-cause notices to 51 out of the 148 primary schools in Kalkini upazila.

The notices demanded a satisfactory explanation within three working days regarding discrepancies between food distribution and student attendance records for seven specific days: July 22, 23, 26, 27, 28, and 30, and August 2.

However, Kalkini Upazila Primary Education Officer Nazmul Hasan expressed dissatisfaction with the District Education Officer’s move. Claiming the procedure for issuing the notices was flawed, he stated that an accurate assessment is impossible based on records from just seven days.

Student attendance was low on those days due to continuous rain. Conversely, while attendance was high during examinations, no additional food was available then.

“Considering the circumstances, we adjusted food allocations for some schools; therefore, issuing a sudden show-cause notice was inappropriate. We intend to reconcile the matter by balancing the accounts for three months along with the first ten days.

of September,” he added.
Meanwhile, the show-cause notices have sparked resentment and anxiety among the headteachers at the field level. Speaking on condition of anonymity, several headteachers noted that low attendance in riverine (char) and remote areas during the monsoon or adverse weather is a common occurrence.

There is no specific government mechanism or alternative policy for returning perishable items like eggs, bananas, and bread.