DU female students demand reform to policies for married students

Representatives of female dormitories of Dhaka University want reform of policies on pregnant and married students staying in the residential halls.

The student representatives demanded these at a press conference held at Dhaka University Journalists Association (DUJA) club at around 12:30pm on Friday, our DU correspondent reports.

"Is it a fault to be married? What kind of nonsense policy is it to cancel the seats of the female married students? We strongly demand to remake these policies and bring in student-friendly policies," said former VP of Shamsunnahar Hall Sheikh Tasnim Afroze Emi.

"If the university authority helps us, we are ready to cooperate with them with our best, but if they don't accept our demands, we will be obliged to call a movement," she added.

They also demanded to allow non-resident students to enter the halls and also to allow them to stay in the dormitories in emergencies.

It is to be mentioned that to allot seats at five female residential halls under Dhaka University, female students have to sign an undertaking while enrolling, where one of the points says: "If any student gets married, she must inform the hall authority quickly. Otherwise, for breaking the rule, her seat will be cancelled. And pregnant students cannot stay in the dorm."

Recently, a 4th-year married student of Shamsunnahar Hall was forced to leave the hall on the condition that her cousin, a student of 2019-20 session who was eligible to get a legal seat in the hall, would not get it until she leaves her seat.

On the other hand, a second-year married student faced lots of difficulties from hall administration with the matter of her hall accommodation. But while contacted, the victim refused to comment before the media.

The representatives submitted an application to DU Vice-Chancellor Prof M Akhtaruzzaman in this regard two days ago.

"Considering social values and morality, our forefathers brought out these policies and all of those policies are not bad. But in this present time, these policies need to be reconsidered," Prof. Akhtaruzzaman said in this regard.

"These policies will remain in practice until we reach a logical conclusion," he further said.

"I studied in different foreign universities but didn't see such rules. I think such rules shouldn't exist in a 100-year-old university," the dean of the social science faculty, Prof. Sadeka Halim, said.

"I think hall authority should allow married students to stay in the hall," she added.