Abir Rayhan :
A great number of students of Dhaka University (DU) are facing serious accommodation crisis as the authority failed to provide seats to them at respective dormitories. Most of the students at DU usually come from different districts of the country; hence they don’t have other options to reside but halls.
The first and second year honours students are facing the worst as after getting admission in the university, they are not provided with accommodation facilities.
However, many students who have link with the student leaders can manage seats in halls. But these students are compelled to take part in the processions and other political prorammes set by the leaders.
Besides, many students, who completed their post graduation degrees from the university, are still occupying seats in halls, adding salt into the wounds.
Apart from them, outsiders blessed by student leaders also grab a large number of rooms of the halls and stay there under the very nose of university authority.
As a result, the academic activities of the first and second year students are being affected badly fading their dream away into dark.
“I know nothing where I can stay tonight. But I have to attend my classes tomorrow and prepare my study. How and in what way I can run my academic activities? I don’t have any relative in city,” said Imran Hossen, a second year duel-residence student of Surya Sen Hall.
There are 19 residence halls and two hostels in Dhaka University. They provide accommodation facilities for 18.515 thousand to 19 thousand of the total students; therefore, no arrangement for the rest students is available in the university.
The number of students in DU is increasing every year, but the numbers of seats are not increasing with the rising demands. As a result, it impacts on study and every day life of the students.
They complained, many residential students are suffering from various problems in the halls. Some halls are the same of refugee camps. 20-40 students have to live in the Gonorooms (a big room where many students reside together) instead of 8-10. Many students spend the night on the balcony of the halls and also in mosque.
Arafat Rony, a 2nd year residence student of Bangabandhu Hall of the university said, he resides in a ganoroom. “Every day I have to fight for having a space to sleep in the room. Besides, the room is so unhygienic that I can hardly sleep there,” he added.
According to the university authority, 1 thousand and 225 students reside at Shahidullah Hall; 766 students at Fazlul Haque Muslim Hall; 1 thousand and 722 students at Jagannath Hall; 805 students at Salimullah Muslim Hall; 1 thousand 325 students at Zahurul Huq Hall; 1 thousand and 74 students at Surya Sen Hall; 542 students at Haji Muhammad Mohsin Hall; 769 students at Kobi Jasimuddin Hall; 602 students at Sir F Rahman Hall; 703 students at Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Hall; 934 students at Muktizoddha Ziaur Rahman Hall; 610 students at Amar Ekushey Hall; 1 thousand and 600 students at Rokeya Hall; 1 thousand and 350 students at Samsunahar Hall; 2 thousand and 61 students at Kuwait Friendship Hall; 119 students at Sir PJ Hartog International Hall; 1 thousand and 150 students at Begum Fazilatunnessa Mujib Hall; 160 students are getting residential facilities at Nawab Foyzunnesa Chowdhurani Hall and the latest Bijoy Ekattor hall has 1 thousand and 200 residential students.
In addition, many students are staying at the halls as non-resident and dual-resident. They stay in Gonorooms. There are at least 8 Gonorooms at Surya Sen Hall; 3 at F Rahman Hall; 9 at Zahurul Huq Hall; 7 at Muktizoddha Ziaur Rahman Hall; 4 at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Hall; 6 at Kabi Jasimuddin Hall; 9 at Haji Muhammad Mohsin Hall; 2 at Rokeya Hall; 3 at Kuwait Friendship Hall; and 3 at Fazilatunnessa Mujib Hall.
Many Students those living in these crowded rooms complained that they are used as the activist of Bangladesh Student League (BCL), a student body of ruling Awami League. They are forced to go procession and give protocol to BCL leaders. If they don’t do that they are compelled to leave hall.
They are the victims of the discrimination and use politically due to the hall administrations’ lack of monitoring on the distribution of seats in the hall, they added.
Nipa Akter, a resident student of Samsunnahar Hall, said she has to reside in a gonoroom with more than 10 students. “During examinations I have to go to reading room for study, but very often I don’t get any seat there,” she added.
Mahmudul Hasan Abid, another residence student of Amar Ekushey Hall said, although he is a 3rd year student, he has to stay with eleven students in a four-seated room.
Vice-Chancellor of the university Prof AAMS Arefin Siddique said, it is true that there are accommodation shortages. However, it is not possible to solve it to soon. ‘We plan to destroy three or five storied building and will build ten or twelve storied building to solve the crisis’.
The students who completed their post graduation but didn’t leave hall, we asked them to leave hall immediately, he added.
A great number of students of Dhaka University (DU) are facing serious accommodation crisis as the authority failed to provide seats to them at respective dormitories. Most of the students at DU usually come from different districts of the country; hence they don’t have other options to reside but halls.
The first and second year honours students are facing the worst as after getting admission in the university, they are not provided with accommodation facilities.
However, many students who have link with the student leaders can manage seats in halls. But these students are compelled to take part in the processions and other political prorammes set by the leaders.
Besides, many students, who completed their post graduation degrees from the university, are still occupying seats in halls, adding salt into the wounds.
Apart from them, outsiders blessed by student leaders also grab a large number of rooms of the halls and stay there under the very nose of university authority.
As a result, the academic activities of the first and second year students are being affected badly fading their dream away into dark.
“I know nothing where I can stay tonight. But I have to attend my classes tomorrow and prepare my study. How and in what way I can run my academic activities? I don’t have any relative in city,” said Imran Hossen, a second year duel-residence student of Surya Sen Hall.
There are 19 residence halls and two hostels in Dhaka University. They provide accommodation facilities for 18.515 thousand to 19 thousand of the total students; therefore, no arrangement for the rest students is available in the university.
The number of students in DU is increasing every year, but the numbers of seats are not increasing with the rising demands. As a result, it impacts on study and every day life of the students.
They complained, many residential students are suffering from various problems in the halls. Some halls are the same of refugee camps. 20-40 students have to live in the Gonorooms (a big room where many students reside together) instead of 8-10. Many students spend the night on the balcony of the halls and also in mosque.
Arafat Rony, a 2nd year residence student of Bangabandhu Hall of the university said, he resides in a ganoroom. “Every day I have to fight for having a space to sleep in the room. Besides, the room is so unhygienic that I can hardly sleep there,” he added.
According to the university authority, 1 thousand and 225 students reside at Shahidullah Hall; 766 students at Fazlul Haque Muslim Hall; 1 thousand and 722 students at Jagannath Hall; 805 students at Salimullah Muslim Hall; 1 thousand 325 students at Zahurul Huq Hall; 1 thousand and 74 students at Surya Sen Hall; 542 students at Haji Muhammad Mohsin Hall; 769 students at Kobi Jasimuddin Hall; 602 students at Sir F Rahman Hall; 703 students at Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Hall; 934 students at Muktizoddha Ziaur Rahman Hall; 610 students at Amar Ekushey Hall; 1 thousand and 600 students at Rokeya Hall; 1 thousand and 350 students at Samsunahar Hall; 2 thousand and 61 students at Kuwait Friendship Hall; 119 students at Sir PJ Hartog International Hall; 1 thousand and 150 students at Begum Fazilatunnessa Mujib Hall; 160 students are getting residential facilities at Nawab Foyzunnesa Chowdhurani Hall and the latest Bijoy Ekattor hall has 1 thousand and 200 residential students.
In addition, many students are staying at the halls as non-resident and dual-resident. They stay in Gonorooms. There are at least 8 Gonorooms at Surya Sen Hall; 3 at F Rahman Hall; 9 at Zahurul Huq Hall; 7 at Muktizoddha Ziaur Rahman Hall; 4 at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Hall; 6 at Kabi Jasimuddin Hall; 9 at Haji Muhammad Mohsin Hall; 2 at Rokeya Hall; 3 at Kuwait Friendship Hall; and 3 at Fazilatunnessa Mujib Hall.
Many Students those living in these crowded rooms complained that they are used as the activist of Bangladesh Student League (BCL), a student body of ruling Awami League. They are forced to go procession and give protocol to BCL leaders. If they don’t do that they are compelled to leave hall.
They are the victims of the discrimination and use politically due to the hall administrations’ lack of monitoring on the distribution of seats in the hall, they added.
Nipa Akter, a resident student of Samsunnahar Hall, said she has to reside in a gonoroom with more than 10 students. “During examinations I have to go to reading room for study, but very often I don’t get any seat there,” she added.
Mahmudul Hasan Abid, another residence student of Amar Ekushey Hall said, although he is a 3rd year student, he has to stay with eleven students in a four-seated room.
Vice-Chancellor of the university Prof AAMS Arefin Siddique said, it is true that there are accommodation shortages. However, it is not possible to solve it to soon. ‘We plan to destroy three or five storied building and will build ten or twelve storied building to solve the crisis’.
The students who completed their post graduation but didn’t leave hall, we asked them to leave hall immediately, he added.
