Kurigram, April 10 -- Cut off from the mainland by the relentless erosion of the Brahmaputra River, Karai Barishal Char in Chilmari upazila in the district is a place where survival itself is a daily struggle. Yet amid poverty, isolation and uncertainty, a small school stands as a symbol of hope, defying all odds.

Karai Barishal Junior Secondary School, founded in 2003, serves around 152 students - more than half of them girls - drawn from several remote chars, including Majhabari, Bailamandiarkhata, Char Shakahati and Dhusmara. For many, reaching school means long journeys by boat and on foot, often through dangerous conditions.

"We struggle every day just to attend classes," said one student preparing for the Secondary School Certific...