Monirul Haque Rony:
Education is the backbone of a nation. There is no substitute to education for any nation to stand tall in the world and prove its superiority. The more educated the nation in the world, the more advanced they are in knowledge and science; the key to world leadership is in their hands. Education is also one of the regulators of national development and progress. As it develops one’s inner self, it also helps one to develop as a good citizen. That is why every country including Bangladesh attaches utmost importance to education and of course education without gender discrimination. The constitution of Bangladesh also mentions discrimination free education. The Constitution states that “all citizens are equal before the law” and “women shall have equal rights with men in all spheres of the state and public life”. It has also been said that “no citizen shall, on grounds only of religion, race, caste, sex or place of birth be subjected to any disability, liability, restriction or condition with regard to access to any place of public entertainment or resort, or admission to any educational institutions”. So it is needless to say that all citizens are entitled to equal rights in enrolling in an educational institution, studying and getting all the facilities there. However, recently, five girls’ halls of Dhaka University and Alema Khatun Bhasani Hall of Maulana Bhasani University of Science and Technology have been banned from staying in the halls of married female students, which is in conflict with the constitution. While there is no such prohibition for married male students, such prohibition in the case of married female students is not only inhumane but also extremely humiliating for women. Inequality does not end here. Not only the students of other halls, but also the students of the same hall cannot enter their own hall just because they are not residents. Whereas, there are no restrictions or firmness in the boys’ halls. Such a different policy can never be acceptable for boys and girls studying in the same educational institution. While women’s education is highly valued around the world, even the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) call for ensuring non-discriminatory women’s education at all levels of education, gender equality and women’s empowerment by 2030, such discriminatory policies are an extreme obstacle to women’s education and empowerment.
The present government is also committed to empowering women including increasing the rate of education of women. That is why the government has taken multifaceted steps to reduce the dropout rate of girls in primary school, prevent child marriage, provide stipends to girls and expand women’s education, so that no girl child is deprived of educational opportunities in any way and they can strengthen their position in family, society and state. However, in places like universities, such discriminatory bans have discouraged women from pursuing higher education and made them inferior.
Dhaka University is the best educational institution in the country no doubt. As much as its contribution to the history and heritage of the country and various movements and struggles is outstanding, its contribution to the expansion of higher education and creation of skilled manpower is also unique. Every year thousands of students have taken higher education from here and have been signing their talents at home and abroad. At present about 37 thousand students are studying here. Of which more than 12 thousand female students, who have only 5 halls to stay. A large part of the students of Dhaka University are from rural areas who have no place to stay in Dhaka city. So getting a seat in the hall is a lot like getting the moon in their hands. That is why they have to huddle hard despite not having enough seats in the hall. The problem of staying for girls is more evident. Many poor fathers can’t even afford to keep their daughters in the mess. So somehow their only goal is to get a seat in the hall.
Due to the social reality, many girls get married while studying. But once they get married, it does not become an arrangement for them to stay out of the hall. Moreover, even if it is not wrong to get married, the married girl has to stay in the hall like a thief hiding her identity. While this is not the case with married male students, such discrimination is really unacceptable in the case of female students. Married girls, however, cannot study? Or Bangladesh law prohibits married girls from studying? If not, then such a bizarre and absurd decision in the case of married female students is completely illegal and unconstitutional. This is one of the major obstacles in the way of women’s empowerment. If it is not unjust to marry university girls, if it is not forbidden for educated girls to study, then such a prohibition may not be desirable to stay in the hall. Why make a married female student a victim just because of the seat crisis? Is it her liability? Rather, it is the responsibility of the university authorities.
There is no point in just increasing the department year by year without increasing the accommodation facilities for the students. If the department increases, the number of students will increase, that is normal. But if the proportion of seats is not increased, new halls or hostels are not built, if new facilities are not created, then why does the liability fall on the shoulders of the married female students?
New departments may be created according to the needs of the age. But did the university authorities ever think about where the extra students would be? Perhaps, no. And so the students have to be crammed in the hall. And those who do not get it, they have to come to the bus every day and take classes. What a miserable condition of the best children of the best institution in the country! As if there is no one to watch.
There are no standard teachers and research in the university, no good living environment and good food in the hall, and even no enough seats in the library. Just no more no more. In this situation, what’s wrong with married students staying in the hall? They are no longer illegal students. Whereas, the administration seems to be silent about studentshipless illegal students who have been staying in the hall for months, even years and years in political patronage. Not expelling married legal students, expel them once. Even if it is a little, the housing crisis will be reduced. The eviction of married female students will not end the housing crisis. Rather, it requires a far-reaching plan and its implementation. The regulatory authorities concerned of the government including the university authorities should be more active in resolving these. Because they cannot avoid the responsibility in any way.
There is no alternative to building a new hall to solve the housing problem. Those who continue to exert political influence after ending studentship should be expelled. The authorities have more time to think about increasing the number of new departments without increasing other facilities. Just kicking these married girls out of the hall with the ‘married’ tag is not the right decision. This will only increase the problem. Please do not take out the married female student staying in the hall after eating half a little of stale pulses and thick rice. Then a dream may be extinguished in an instant; the long cherished dream of a poor family may be stopped. The empowerment of women can remain elusive.
(Monirul Haque Rony is Lecturer, Department of Social Work, Savar Government College, Savar, Dhaka Email:[email protected])
