Female students of Dhaka University (DU) organised a symbolic hunger strike and sit-in in front of the Vice-Chancellor's residence this morning, protesting inadequate accommodation and safety concerns in women's dormitories.
The protesters also submitted a memorandum to the vice-chancellor yesterday, outlining seven key demands, that include initiating projects to address gender-specific issues hindering women's development, improving conditions in women's residential facilities to ensure safety and dignity, keeping existing dormitories operational until alternative accommodations are available, expediting construction of new dormitories for female students, upgrading substandard residential halls to make them habitable, providing affordable and reliable transportation services for female students, and modernising facilities to enhance the overall university experience for women.
In the memorandum, students referred to discussions held with university officials, including the vice-chancellor and pro-vice-chancellor, and expressed frustration over the administration's inability to address these concerns, citing budgetary and logistical constraints.
The students appealed to the Ministry of Education for intervention. The education adviser assured that new dormitories would be inaugurated within six months and interim solutions would be provided to alleviate the accommodation crisis, it said in the memorandum.
Despite suggestions such as temporarily renting private hostels under university supervision, the administration has not committed to implementing these measures due to limited resources.
The protesting students stressed the urgency of improving existing residential and transport facilities, warning that continued neglect would exacerbate hardships and hinder academic pursuits.
They urged the administration to take immediate action to ensure Dhaka University becomes a supportive and inclusive environment for all female students.
Source: the daily star