The female students of Bangladesh Agricultural University (BAU) are facing an acute crisis of accommodation as around 2,500 students are currently residing in its three female dormitories with the capacity 1,401.
The authorities of the residential university have declared that for 2014-15 academic sessions, female students will be enrolled as “non-residents” as no seat is available in the female dormitories.
However, if any seat is vacated afterwards, the students will be provided with a placement, prioritised by their academic results.
The university has three residential dormitories for female students while nine for male students. The number of female students has been on rise in recent years, according to BAU administration office.
In 2004, the percentage of female students was only around 25 which stands at 45 at present.
Out of the 1000 students who were enrolled during the last academic session, 444 were female.
Three female dormitories – Sultana Razia Hall, Taposi Rabeya Hall, and Sheikh Fazilatunnisa Mujib Hall – has seating capacity of 537, 512 and 352 respectively.
A number of students in these halls said they were passing days in uncertainty as they were not sure when they would be provided with seats.
The junior students are being compelled to reside in common rooms, TV rooms and even in the prayer rooms while the senior students are sharing beds with room mates seeing no other way, said sources in the halls.
“I am staying in the TV room where the hall authorities have erected a hard-board divider to make a section,” said Suborna, a first year student of Taposi Rabeya Hall.
“Many students have to stay on the floor amid manifold problems. I cannot concentrate on my study, as a result, I am cutting poor marks,” she said.
“It is not possible for me to stay outside the university by renting an apartment. Many of us frequently fall sick because of the congested atmosphere and lack of other facilities,” said Roshni, a student of Sheikh Fazilatunnisa Mujib Hall who resides in a common room.
Majority of the rooms have double students than their capacities, claimed a number of students residing in the halls.
In BAU’s last convocation held in 2011, the then Chancellor of the university late President Md Zillur Rahman promised to provide assistance for building two new female dormitories to combat the accommodation crisis, however, the promise is yet to be fulfilled.
Last year, the BAU authorities tried to convert Isha Khan Hall, a dormitory for male students, into a female dormitory but could not do so amid strong protest from the male students.
In December 2013, the university authority, laid foundation of a five-storey female dormitory with seating capacity of 600. Although the project is scheduled to end by June 2015, the construction work is yet to start.
When contacted, BAU Chief Engineer Shahin Islam said planning and design of the hall was completed and the construction work would start by this month.
BAU Vice-chancellor Prof Md Rafiqul Haque, expressed hope that accommodation crisis would soon be solved upon completion of the new female dormitory.
He sought funds from the authorities concerned for building more female dormitories in the largest agricultural university of the country as well as the South-Asian region.