United News of Bangladesh

A legal notice has been served on Dhaka University authorities asking them to withdraw the restriction on pregnant and married female students over staying at residential halls. The notice demanded that necessary steps be taken to repeal the discriminatory provision against female students within three working days of receiving the notice, otherwise the intervention of the High Court would be sought in the matter. Mohammad Shishir Monir, a lawyer of the Supreme Court and a former student of the law department of Dhaka University, sent the legal notice to DU vice-chancellor, registrar, proctor and provosts of three women’s dormitories, including Shamsun Nahar Hall on Wednesday. Read: Academic libraries: Dhaka University paints a ‘very frustrating’ picture In the notice, the Supreme Court Lawyer said the right to stay in a university dorm does not depend on whether the student is pregnant and married or not. Dhaka University still has such discriminatory provisions against female students. This decision is a clear violation of Articles 27 and 28 of the Constitution. Meanwhile, a meeting of the Provost Standing Committee of Dhaka University was held this evening to discuss the rules of the female students’ hall, said  VC Md Akhtaruzzaman. In the recent media reports, the lawyer came to know that the residential seats of some students of Dhaka University have been cancelled due to their marriage. Read: DU hall expels third-year student for torturing junior in dorm According to the Rules of Distribution of Seats and Other Disciplinary Rules for Residential Students of Shamsun Nahar Hall, if any student gets married, she should inform the authorities immediately, otherwise her seat will be cancelled due to violation of rules. Only in special cases, the married student will be given the opportunity to stay in the hall for the current session. The rules of Shamsun Nahar Hall also stated that pregnant students cannot stay in the hall. The notice further said that due to that provision, practically married students will be deprived of the opportunity of higher education by availing the residential facilities of the hall. There is a lot of dissatisfaction and excitement among the students about this issue.

Authorities on Sunday reopened the residential halls Rajshahi University (RU) after closure  for long 18 months due to the Coronavirus pandemic. The students started to enter their respective halls at 10 am amid much enthusiasm showing their ID cards and vaccination cards. Read: Prof Golam Sabbir Sattar appointed as VC of Rajshahi University The university administration decided to reopen the halls at a meeting of the university's academic council on September 30. The university administration has issued some instructions including wearing masks for the students to enter the halls. Basins have been installed in front of the dormitories to wash their hands. However, most of the 16 residential halls have not been renovated. Students who have not yet been vaccinated yet but got registered on the Surokkha app have been asked to get vaccinated at the Shaheed Sukhranjan Samaddar Student-Teacher Cultural Center (TSCC) from October 18 to 22. Read: The contenders to be the next VC of Rajshahi University University Public Relations office administrator professor Ajijur Rahman said students need to get at least one dose of corona vaccine to enter the halls. Two copies of the vaccination certificate, hall identity card and stamp size picture of them have to be shown at the entrance. All the residential halls of Rajshahi University remained closed since March 16 last year. Academic activities will resume on October 20.

After nearly 18 months, Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST) will reopen its residential halls to students in phases starting from October 25. SUST Vice Chancellor Prof Farid Uddin Ahmed announced the date after the 167th Academic Council meeting of the university on Tuesday afternoon. Read: Flowers & banners welcome students as DU reopens dorms According to the decision of the Academic Council, postgraduate students will be able to enter the hall on October 25.  Final-year undergraduate students will be let in on October 26, third-year students on October 27, second-year students on October 28, and first-year students on October 29. However, only those students who have received at least one dose of the Covid-19 jab will be allowed to enter the residential halls on production of the vaccine card. Read: Kuet dorms to reopen on October 22 Physical classes may begin in some departments from the first week of November. However, online classes will continue, the VC said.

After a gap of nearly 18 months, Islamic University (IU) in Kushtia is all set to reopen its residential halls to students on October 9. Regular classes of all departments, however, will resume from October 20,  IU information publication and public relations office director Ataul Hoque said. Read:Islamic University waives transport, hall fees from period of Covid-19 closure The decision to reopen the residential halls was taken at IU's 263rd syndicate meeting held at vice chancellor Professor Shaikh Abdus Salam's official residence Monday. The meeting was chaired by the VC. Students will have to produce proof of at least one dose of a Covid vaccine to access the residential facilities and attend the classes, Ataul said. The central library of the university, however, reopened on Tuesday. Read: Islamic University to start final exams from Sept 12 "All arrangements have been made to reopen the residential halls. But no student will be allowed to stay at the ‘gana room’ as it could cause a surge in Covid infections, the vice-chancellor said. Among others, IU pro-VC Professor M Mahbubur Rahman, treasurer Professor M Alamgir Hossain Bhuiya and acting registrar M Ataur Rahman were present at the meeting.  Last month, a group of students staged a protest on the campus, demanding the university reopen the residential halls to the students on September 30.