Around 300 Buddhist children from the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) were housed and given primary education at Bonophool Children's Home in the Bouddha Vihara since 1993, but the school activities went into oblivion in 1998 as the French donor agency 'Partaz' stopped providing finances.

The donor agency referred to the 1997 CHT Peace Treaty and said the government could finance the education programmes for Bonophool Children Home, said Dhanamoni Chakma, organising secretary of Parbatya Bouddha Sangha, Bangladesh (PBSB).

"The CHT Affairs Ministry said that as the school does not fall within the CHT purview, the ministry is not is a position to fund the school," said Venerable Prajnananda Mahathera, president PBSB.

Jnana Bikash Chakma, PBSB's general secretary told The Daily Star that Bimal Trishwa Bhikku, the then president of PBSB helped to acquire one-acre land in two phases. The first 22 decimals was obtained in 1976 during the regime of Ziaur Rahman and the rest in 1985 during the rule of HM Ershad, to promote the Buddhist practices, education and development.

The PBSB constructed a Pagoda and building on the land with aid from many sources capacitating the education of about 400 students.

The general secretary said the entire building remained unused with bills of over Tk 5 lakh including fines and interest pending for electricity, gas water and other utilities.

"The building is now a burden on us as we are facing severe a monetary crisis," Dhanamoni said. He urged authorities to take adequate steps to provide financial aid to enable PBSB to run the institute for the benefit underprivileged children.