Students of Dhaka University do not have enough opportunity to play in the university’s playgrounds as different companies and organizations keep occupied those in different purposes.
Talking to the Dhaka Tribune, several students alleged that the university’s authorities frequently lease out its playgrounds to various organizations and sports clubs on several occasions depriving them to play in the places.
The DU has four large playgrounds, including those ones adjacent to Jagannath Hall, Haji Muhammad Mohshin Hall and Sergent Zahurul Haq Hall and its Central Playground.
Different organizations, including Mohammedan Sporting Club, BJMC and Bangladesh Cricket Control Board, use the central playground on rent for several years, according to sources at the DU administration.
The National Board of Revenue (NBR) has been given rent the playground for 14 days (November 1 to November 14) to hold a fair, they said.
During a recent visit, it was found that almost one-third in its South-East part of the playground has remained occupied by tho construction companies.
In March, 2011, the construction companies were given the university’s various construction works, including construction of residential halls for students and administrative buildings, according to sources at DU administration.
Since then, the companies kept occupied the playground by piling up construction materials and erecting tin shades structures.
Talking to the constructions workers, it was learned that though the two companies were allowed only to keep construction material for the DU projects, they piled up construction materials and supply those to different other projects in the city’s different areas including Mirpur, Kolayanpur, Moghbazar and Jatrabari.
On September 16, 2012, rights organization, Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh, filed a writ with the High Court seeking its directives to remove all the construction materials form the playground.
On June 26, 2013, DU Syndicate at a meeting decided to ask the companies to vacate the playground. But the university authorities did not issue the ultimatum for unknown reasons.
Talking to the Dhaka Tribune, DU treasurer Dr Kamal Uddin Ahmed and acting proctor Amzad Ali told that the construction companies will vacate the university’s central playground after completion of construction work of “7 March Hall”.
Mazharul Kabir Shoyon, a third year student of Anthropology department and also residing in Surya Sen hall, said: “We have no place for playing now”.
“We used to play at Mal Chattar (in front of university’s registrar’s building). But the university authority had planted trees in that places narrowing our playing opportunity,” he said.
The playground adjacent to Sergent Zahurul Haq Hall has also been given rent to several Sporting clubs (Brothers Union, Rohomotgonj, Mohammedan Sporting Club) by the hall authorities.
Abdullaha Al Mamun, a residential student of the hall, said: “We have to sit outside the playground like audience as the outsiders [players of the clubs] keep occupy the playground most of the time”.
DU Physical Training Center Director Mohammad Shoukotur Rahman said the playgrounds adjacent to different halls are given rent only when the halls remain vacant or there is no academic schedule.
DU Vice-Chancellor Prof AAMS Arefin Siddique said, “We must give priority to our students. We directed the authorities concerned to rent the playing fields only when the university remains closed.
“The university authority always put importance on students sporting related affairs,” he said.