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DU aims to provide housing for 3,000 female students with a Tk 3,085cr plan

Published : Tuesday, 7 January, 2025 at 12:00 AM  Count : 644
Dhaka University (DU) has introduced ambitious plans to resolve the urgent housing crisis for its female students by proposing schemes worth over BDT 3,085 crore. On Monday (6 January), a press release issued by Mohammad Rafiqul Islam, Acting Director of Public Relations, stated that the administration submitted a proposal of BDT 2,841.86 crore to the government for four extended-hall builds, which would provide space for around 3,000 students in total.

At the same time, the Ministry is evaluating the BDT 244 crore Bangladesh-China Friendship Hall project, sponsored by Chinese financial assistance, which was recently reaffirmed by the Chinese ambassador Yao Wen during a university event.

The proposed housing development schemes at DU involve significant upgrades to its existing housing infrastructure. The projects include establishing a new 15-storey Shahnewaz Hall to replace the present hall, expanding Shamsunnahar Hall with two buildings of 10 and 6 storeys, and constructing a new hostel for the Institute of Leather Engineering and Technology with two buildings of 11 and 8 storeys on the site of the existing staff quarters. Additionally, the scheme includes extending Kuwait Maitree Hall with a 10-storey building to allow further intake of students.

Despite these promising plans, there are doubts about the university's ability to deliver such massive projects given its history of delays and budget constraints. Financial problems have resulted in 500 bunk beds being laid in different dormitories, and for the first time, first-year students are matched according to their allocations at the undergraduate level.

New allotments were made to meet the accommodation needs of female students in various halls. Accordingly, 570 seats of Rokeya Hall were allocated for the academic year 2023-2024 in two phases. So far, Shamsunnahar Hall has been allocated 59 seats, with preparations underway to allocate another 100 seats. Bangladesh-Kuwait Maitree Hall furnished 194 seats but may add 58 more as senior students graduate. From the seats of Sufia Kamal Hall, 391 have already been allocated, while further provisions are in the pipeline. At present, 135 seats of Bangamata Sheikh Fazilatunnesa Mujib Hall have been allocated with additional arrangements expected.

However, these measures fall short of addressing the needs of thousands of students who remain ineligible or waitlisted for on-campus housing. While students appreciate the administration's initiatives, they raise concerns about sustainability and inclusiveness. Students pointed out that hall conditions are still not up to standard across many halls, with complaints about overcrowding and inadequate facilities.

Moreover, the proposed infrastructure upgrades do not address deeper structural issues such as inequitable seat allocation processes and the lack of robust student support mechanisms. In an effort to ease the housing crunch, the administration recently indicated plans for proactive engagement with key stakeholders and the use of housing scholarships through the HEAT project of the World Bank, which aims to benefit newly recruited undergraduate students in the next academic year.

On Monday (6 January), first-year female students of Dhaka University, lacking proper accommodation facilities, staged a sit-in and token hunger strike in front of the vice-chancellor's residence. The protest commenced at 10 in the morning, with students demanding a 100% residential solution for female students along with six other demands.

The protesters outlined their agenda at a press conference at the Dhaka University Journalists' Association (DUJA) office. A written statement was read out by Israt Jahan Imu, a resident of Shamsunnahar Hall. She stated that the students submitted a memorandum to the Vice Chancellor on 29th December, but there were no responses from the administration. Discussions with the University Treasurer revealed plans to construct new halls within the next three years, but no interim solutions were provided for the current accommodation crisis.

The protesting students expressed concern about the safety of female students occupying poor-quality off-campus accommodations and experiencing harassment. Imu stated, "Continuation of academic activities under these circumstances essentially counts as farce."

The students vowed to continue protesting until temporary housing solutions and permanent dormitory structures are developed for women. Their seven key demands include immediate measures to ensure 100% residential housing for first-year female students, elimination of overcrowded and unhygienic "gono room" practices, temporary accommodations in university-owned properties or rented facilities near the campus until new dormitories are operational, construction of new female dormitories exclusively within the main campus, access for non-residential female students to hall facilities, gradual elimination of shared accommodations, and relocation of Maitree and Bangamata Halls to the main campus in phases.



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