Female students holding ‘Muri Party’ at DU Mall Chattar tonight after being denied entry

Female students of Dhaka University are set to hold a "Muri Party" (puffed rice party) at Mall Chattar tonight, where two female students were reportedly barred from entering by the university's proctorial team.

Asherfa Khatun, a DU student and spokesperson of Bangladesh Ganatantrik Chhatra Sangsad, in a Facebook post called for the gathering.

Female leaders and activists from JCD and leftist student organisations are also backing the programme. They announced they would hold an informal cultural event alongside the "Muri Party" around 10:00pm.

The incident went viral among DU students after one of the female students wrote a Facebook post describing the experience, sparking widespread criticism.

In her post, the student said that two DU security guards prevented them from entering Mall Chattar, claiming that female students were not allowed there after 10:00pm.

According to the post, the students then contacted the university proctor over the phone. However, before granting them entry, the proctor reportedly instructed the guards to take photos of their ID cards and record their parents' contact numbers.

"It was already 10:52pm when we finished talking with the proctor. We decided to return to our halls because otherwise we might have had to face another argument with the hall authorities," she wrote.

At DU, female residential halls maintain strict closing hours -- generally 10:00pm, with some extending to 10:30pm or 11:00pm under special permission. In contrast, male dormitories remain open round the clock.

Sushmita Munshi, a fourth-year residential student, termed the restriction "contradictory." Speaking to The Daily Star, she said, "Many of us have jobs, tuition, or programmes that keep us out late, so this rule causes unnecessary inconvenience. In the name of security, female students are restricted, yet real safety is not ensured."

Meanwhile, in an emergency notification issued today, the office of the DU proctor expressed regret over the treatment of the two female students last night.