Staff Reporter:
A group of female students of Dhaka University (DU) have demanded round-the-clock access to wom-en’s residential halls and the establishment of what they described as their legitimate rights.
Under the banner of “Boishomyahin Nari Hall Chai” (We Want Discrimination-free Women’s Halls), they submitted a memorandum to DU Vice Chancellor Prof Dr ABM Obaidul Islam on Monday in this regard.
Several female leaders of the Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD) DU unit, along with DU Central Students’ Union (DUCSU) Research Secretary Sanjida Ahmed Tonni and its member Hema Chakma, were present during the memorandum submission.
Earlier in the day, from 10:00am, the students gathered on the university’s Central Library premises to collect opinions, personal experiences and signatures in support of their campaign before presenting the memorandum to the VC.
In the memorandum, the students placed three key demands, including abolishing the existing evening “curfew” and keeping all women’s residential halls open 24 hours, allowing regular DU female students to enter any women’s hall with a valid university identity card and stay overnight with prior permission, and permitting female family members to accompany students up to their hall rooms.
Under the current rules, only resident students are allowed to enter DU female residential halls. Even female students who are attached to a hall but do not reside there are generally not permitted entry.
In addition, the hall gates are normally closed around 10:00pm. Students who need to enter the hall after the designated closing time must obtain prior authorisation from the hall authorities.
