Islampur, Sept. 7: Students of Dalkhola High School today confined teachers and non-teaching staff for six hours demanding the speedy construction of a bypass skirting the highway that passes through the town.

Yesterday students of four schools had blocked NH34 and rail tracks over the same demand. On Sunday, Najisha Khatun, a Class IX student of Dalkhola Girls' High School, was killed by a speeding truck on NH34.

The students today confined the 42 teachers and non-teaching staff from 10.30am to 6pm. They were demanding that senior district officials come and meet them over the demands. Deputy magistrate Thendup Sherpa arrived at the school around 4.30pm to speak to the students.

The headmaster of Dalkhola High School, Sukumar Biswas, said the students allowed the teachers to leave the school after they were assured that a team of students would visit the district magistrate with their grievances.

"I and the deputy magistrate held a discussion with the students. It was decided that a team of 10 students representing our school, Dalkhola Girls High School and Dalkhola Urdu High School, would meet district magistrate Ayesha Rani in Raiganj on September 19. It was after that the students allowed us to return home around 6pm. School had started at 10.30am. Around 200 boys and girls of the higher classes gheroed the teachers and the staff," Biswas said.

Arshad Alam, of Class XI speaking on behalf of the students, said: "One of the main reasons for today's agitation was a protest against our teachers. They did not stand by us during yesterday's protest. We have many things to tell the district magistrate. We will demand compensation for Najisha's family. We also want to know why the bypass is not being constructed. Frequent accidents caused by unruly drivers of trucks and buses are causing deaths. Najisha was killed on Sunday. Who will bear the responsibility for the next casualty," Arshad Alam said.

According to the headmaster, unit tests could not be held because of today's agitation. "We will announce the date for the tests soon," Biswas said.

There are 1,835 boys and girls studying in Dalkhola High School.