The Bangladesh community in the Eastern Province is gearing up for the election of a seven-member governing board for its local school on Feb. 14.

There are 13 candidates competing for places on the committee serving the Bangladesh International School in Dammam (BISD) for the next three years.

The outgoing chairman, Mohammed Wahiduzzaman, said that there is a great deal of enthusiasm over the polling. He expects around 80 percent of the school’s 600 parents to participate.

Wahiduzzaman said he hopes the new committee would help solve some of the school’s longstanding problems including a shortage of space and teachers. He said the school had recently been able to hold on to its women teachers with the approval of the Saudi Labor Ministry.

In 2014, over 200 new students were admitted to the school taking the total to more than 1,400, said Saleh Uddin Khan, principal of the school.

The BISD has children of other countries including Pakistan, Sri Lanka, India, Lebanon, Malaysia, Egypt, Sudan and Yemen. Students travel to the school from Jubail, Qatif, Alkhobar and other parts of the Eastern Province.

In a recent meeting held at the school premises, senior parents discussed the election process and promised to bury their differences.

“We will work hand in hand with whoever wins the election,” said Shawkat Kamal, a parent. Parents should think about improving the school rather than forming separate groups, said another parent, Kamrul Islam.

Candidates for the election are Mohd. Bahauddin, Mohd. Bazlur Rahman, Mohammed Mainuddin, Saiful Alam, Mohammed Enamul Haque, Monir Hussain Zamadder, Mohammad Mohsin Habib, Mohi Uddin, Mohammad Sajjad Hossain, Mohd. Saidur Rahman, Mohammad Mithu Chowdhury, Mollah Ekhlasur Rahman and M. Zulfiqar Ali Khan.