RAJSHAHI, Feb 2: About 1,500 female students are living in huddling condition in public rooms of
Rajshahi University (RU).
There are 4,354 seats for 9,346 female students of RU. This is 46 per cent of the total accommodation.
In the absence of adequate accommodation public rooms have been created in all the six halls of the
female students.
Students complained, the number of students more than the seats is destroying the education
environment. They are facing different problems, such as toilet crisis, seniors' influence, insect
attack, slow wi-fi, and poor dining food.
Hall provosts said, most students of the university are from low and lower-income families; because of
financial insolvency, they request for public room seats through different teachers; many guardians
come to tell about security of their girls and appeal for public room seats; then in a compelling
situation, public room seats are allocated.
According to sources at the Academic Branch of RU, at present, except foreign and evening masters'
course students, the number of regular students stand at 26,315 at RU. Of these, female students are
9,346.
There are 4,354 seats in the six halls. These included 1,010 at Munnujan Hall, 720 at Rokeya Hall, 464
at Tapasi Rabeya Hall, 452 at Begum Khaleda Zia Hall, 676 at Rahmatunnesa Hall, and 1,032 at Bangamata
Sheikh Fazilatunnessa Mujib Hall.
Normally first and second year students have to stay in public rooms.
More than 200 students are staying in four public rooms of Munnujan Hall, 280 ones in two rooms of
Tapasi Rabeya Hall, and about 200 in two rooms of Begum Khaleda Zia Hall.
Besides, 210 students have been accommodated in one room of Bangamata Sheikh Fazilatunnessa Mujib
Hall, about 250 in five rooms of Begum Rokeya Hall, and about 250 ones in few mass rooms of
Rahmatunnessa Hall.
Mass room students said, due to lack of space in mass rooms, two of them are staying in a single seat
in huddling condition.
On condition of anonymity, one public room student of Tapasi Rokeya Hall said, "My father is a day-
earner. I have got a seat after a long trying. We two are using the seat. But the big problem is that
our seniors don't allow us using washroom and kitchen (cooking room)".
Second year student Rahima (pseudonym) of Munnujan Hall said, there is no living and reading
environment in public rooms; public rooms are dirty, and walls are spider netted; over 200 students of
public rooms are using eight bathrooms; but two of these are useless having door closed.
One first year student of Begum Khaleda Zia Hall said, there is not cooking system for public room
students; seniors' woven is used for cooking. "If there is any mistake, we have to face harassing.
Also we have to maintain serial for using washroom. We can't attend classes in time," she added.
Tapasi Rabeya Hall Provost Professor Ferodousi Mahal said, there is one heater woven in each floor of
the four student blocks; but all can't cook because of increased students. She demanded increasing
hall numbers for female students to solve this problem.
Begum Khaleda Zia Hall Provost Professor Nusrat Jahan said, "The problem will continue if students are
higher than seats. We allocate public room seats in a compelling situation."
About seniors' misconduct in public rooms, she said, "This allegation is true. But the hall authority
oversee always."
RU Vice-Chancellor Professor Sultan-ul-Islam said, one hall is under construction for female students
having 1,000 seats.
More halls are planned considering security of female students, the VC maintained.
