Frustrated by the inaction of authorities to resolve the severe accommodation crisis, female students of Dhaka University have announced a unique demonstration titled “Want Space in the VC’s House.”
The students plan to stage the protest on Tuesday, January 14, demanding urgent measures to address the long-standing housing issue.
The announcement was made during a press conference held at the Dhaka University Journalists Association office on Sunday evening.
Speaking at the event, Israt Jahan Emu, a student from the Management Information Systems Department, read a written statement detailing their grievances and demands.
“We have been advocating for better student housing for a long time. We have engaged in multiple discussions with the administration and taken every possible step to highlight our demands. However, it became evident during our talks with the administration last Thursday that they are not sincere about resolving these issues,” Emu said.
She further criticised the administration’s reliance on the Dhaka University Ordinance of 1973 as a justification for their inaction.
“We have reviewed the ordinance and found no such hindrance. Why, then, do the highest authorities of the university resort to misleading the students with baseless excuses? It’s clear to us now that the administration has no intention of reaching a resolution through dialogue,” she said.
Declaring that protests are now the only viable option, Emu announced their upcoming programme:
“In light of the administration’s failure to act, we will implement the ‘Want Space in the VC’s House’ programme starting Tuesday, January 14, at 10:00am. Female students will demand accommodation at the Vice Chancellor’s residence and will remain there until our demands are met.”