Jagannath University (JnU) is one of the country's most reputed universities, with around 15,000 students currently studying at the institution. Located in Old Dhaka’s Sadarghat, the university campus spread around seven acres of land. However, 11 residential halls of the university are still under illegal occupation.
While most universities have several halls, JnU has only one.
The students reportedly lost control of all the dormitories during a dispute with the locals in 1985. Since then, they have been demanding permanent residential facilities. But their movement to support the demand became bolder in 2005 when the then Jagannath College was elevated to the status of a university.
Founded as Dhaka Brahma School in 1858 and renamed Jagannath School in 1872, the 158-year-old institution was taken over by the then-Pakistan government in 1968. It opened graduate and postgraduate programs in 1975.
The authorities had been facing difficulties in reclaiming the halls occupied by influential locals while the old campus in densely populated Old Dhaka lacked space.
Later, the Sheikh Fazilatunnesa Mujib Hall was opened for the girls of the university, but it did not reduce the misery of the students. There is only one canteen for thousands of students at the university. Students have been complaining for years that the canteen serves stale food at a higher price as there is no other place to go for those studying at the university.
There is also a shortage of buses for the students. The condition of the central library of the university is also deplorable. Later, in September 2016, the government decided to set up a new campus of JnU in Tegharia of Keraniganj.
Although there are 11 halls in the Sadarghat area in the name of the university, they have been occupied by locals for four decades. Attempts to reclaim the halls did not see light due to interference by local leaders of the Awami League and Chhatra League. However, since the fall of Sheikh Hasina’s government on August 5, the students announced that they would now reclaim their halls one by one.
On August 31, businessmen occupying Gulshanara City, a residential hall of JnU, were asked to submit appropriate documents within three days to the district administration. However, no progress was made in this regard later on.
Additional Deputy Commissioner Shibli Sadiq (Revenue) said the traders were not ordered to leave Gulsanara City Market (Tibet Hall). The market authorities were instructed to submit the necessary documents within 3 days. A team of civil surgeons was sent to the spot for inspection. Later, the market authority submitted the documents. The documents are now being examined, he added. Further decisions will be made after the new deputy commissioner takes office. The authorities of Gulsanara City Market declined to comment on the matter.
However, one of the traders named Mosharraf Hossain said: “We did not get any notice to vacate the market. The market authorities know better about the issue. But I have seen news on the matter on Facebook.”
Treasurer Professor Dr Humayun Kabir Chowdhury said: “In January 2009, students of the university organized a movement to reclaim the hall. They announced that the campus will remain closed for an indefinite period as part of the movement. However, the students could not do much due to the influence of local political leaders. From 2014 to 2016, agitations were carried out at various times. Later, the government decided to build a new campus in Keraniganj.”
He also said that university students have stayed in these 11 halls for many years. It is a matter of concern that on what ground the traders have now occupied the halls.
Sharifa Akhter Soma, a student of the Department of Mass Communication and Journalism, said: “The quality of education in our university is good, but the condition of the environment of the campus is just the opposite. Because our campus is very small, there are not enough halls, not enough space in the library, and not enough canteens either. There is only one hall for the female students, which does not accommodate all of them. On the other hand, the male students do not have any hall at all. Many students get the opportunity to study at this university, but they do not enroll themselves just because of this lack of facilities. Our halls have been occupied for a long time. Someone else is using our resources. But now is the time to realize our rights.”
In 2007, two years after it was made a university, the JnU hired an audit firm to locate its properties. The firm, Masih Muhith Haque & Co. Consortium, in its report, suggested that the university initiate moves to reclaim possession of six dormitories—Shaheed Anwar Shafique Hall, Shaheed Azmal Hossain Hall, Bani Bhaban, Shaheed Shahab Uddin Hall, Tibet Hall, and Abdur Rahman Hall.
About the other halls, the firm said it would be "unwise" to move to restore ownership of those on various grounds, such as whether they were declared khash land or were being used for educational purposes.
Since then, the land of three halls—Habibur Rahman Hall, a part of Shaheed Nazrul Islam Hall, and Bani Bhaban—and an open field have been reclaimed, while the others remain occupied.
In 2009, in the face of student protest, the Ministry of Education formed a committee that suggested that the university should lease out five halls, namely Shaheed Anwar Shafique Hall, Shaheed Azmal Hossain Hall, Shaheed Shahab Uddin Hall, Tibet Hall and Habibur Rahman Hall.
On May 5 of the same year, the university authorities wrote to the Ministry of Lands for a long-term lease of five halls. On July 9, the Ministry of Land directed the district administration to take action in accordance with the existing law. On January 21, 2010, the deputy commissioner asked the university to take steps to acquire the halls instead of leasing them for legal convenience, but due to legal complications, the hall reclaim process was stopped.
