The Victoria College Arts Building itself is over 60 years old, and understandably looks worn with age. Almost 6,000 students attend classes across 7 departments housed in the Arts Building.
Unfortunately there are just 3 toilets for these 6000 students, and that inevitably leads to crises. Not to mention, even the three toilets that are there happen to be in horrible condition.
One of the toilets has the door's cleats missing, which means you can't really close the door. And so even when answering nature's call, you can never really do so in peace.
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Having said that, it is still better than the one with no door at all. Which, as you can imagine, is pretty useless for a toilet. While broken taps are a common trait shared by all three.
So when authorities one day announced the college would be looking to demolish the old structures and build a modern school/college building with all the amenities, the students could not have been more welcoming.
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Mahiuddin Akash, a student of Arabic and Islamic studies department said: "Students of the Arts Building are facing many problems like classroom crisis, toilet shortage and there is no drinkable water. Most of the walls are rotten and notice boards are occupied with outside advertisements."
On a recent visit, apart from 7 classrooms, office space for cultural and voluntary organizations and journalist associations were found on the ground floor of the Arts Building. One of the two male toilets has already been turned into a storeroom; the other one was unusable. Second and third floors are for department offices, seminar rooms and classrooms. Another male toilet on the third floor is also in critical condition. A washroom for the girls is available in the common room located on the second floor.
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Jobaida Yasmin Mumu, president of Badhon, a voluntary blood donors’ organization, said: "Three organizations have offices located on the ground floor, where there is no serviceable toilet. Many prominent persons come here as guests. We feel ashamed when they are made to suffer due to these issues. Speedy repair of the toilets is our demand."
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Professor Md Ruhul Amin Bhuiyan, principal of Cumilla Victoria Govt. College, told UNB: ‘The brick-sand building is 60 years old and about to expire. Budget requisition for a ten storied new building has been sent to the ministry. As the project may take years to complete, supplementary discussions are being held and we are pleading with the Public Welfare Department to prioritise repairing our toilets first."
According to college sources after establishment in 1899, higher secondary and degree sections were separated in 1960. The degree section was founded 3 kilometers away from the main building in Dharmapur area of the suburb. Both the arts building and Kabi Kazi Nazrul Islam hall of the degree section were built in 1960. At present 6,000 students are studying in graduate and postgraduate classes under 7 departments.
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