DU dorms overloaded
Imrul Hasan
Jeenal Rahman is a first year student of management at Dhaka University. With his course final examination just around the corner, Jeenal has no other way but to study while sitting on a bed in the corridor of his dormitory."Even during storms and rain, I have to stay here," said a frustrated Jeenal, who is one of the 45 students who are staying in the corridor of Salimullah Muslim Hall of the university because of acute accommodation problems. While there is a serious shortage of seats at dormitories, the problem is mostly felt by first and second year students. In all the 17 halls of Dhaka University, many students have made makeshift staying arrangements. Sources said that 2,822 students are staying against 577 allotted seats in Surja Sen Hall while 2,135 students are staying at Salimullah Muslim Hall where there is accommodation for 405 persons. The scenario is similar in most of the other halls also. Even though many halls have seen extensions, the pressure of students still far out-numbered the increase in seats. "I have been staying in the corridor for seven months. Tomorrow is my course final but I do not have proper atmosphere to study," said Tuhin Arman, a resident student of Salimullah Muslim Hall. While a good number of students stay in the auditoriums of the halls, those who can not manage space there move into the prayer rooms, reading rooms and even the roof of dormitories. Some students alleged that those who have political backing or are in good terms with student leaders and cadres, get proper seats within days. More than 32,000 students are studying in Dhaka University. About 70 percent of the students come from rural areas and do not have a place to stay in Dhaka. For them, there are no alternatives for university dormitories. But only 12,000 students have managed to receive accommodation facilities. When asked Prof. SMA Faiz, the Vice Chancellor of Dhaka University, admitted the crisis. "We are fully aware of the problems faced by the students. We are trying to lessen the accommodation woes. An initiative has already been taken to build a new dormitory for the female students. But constructing new halls for the male students within a short time is not possible with our internal resources," said Prof. Faiz.
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