Ducsu leaders lay siege to registrar building demanding solution to housing crisis

Leaders of the Dhaka University Central Students' Union (Ducsu) and various hall unions, along with a group of students, laid siege to the Registrar Building of Dhaka University, demanding a resolution to the residential accommodation crisis for students of the 2025–26 academic session, an end to ongoing irregularities and harassment at the administrative level.

Around 1pm today (20 April), the protesters gathered in front of the Registrar Building and staged a demonstration before proceeding to the vice-chancellor's office to present their demands.

During a discussion with the vice-chancellor, the students raised issues including the acute seat shortage for freshmen, mismanagement at the Registrar Building, negligence by officials, and political influence and irregularities in seat allocation.

Among those present at the meeting were Pro-Vice Chancellor Professor Dr Sayema Haque Bidisha, Proctor Professor Saifuddin Ahmed, Convener of the Provost Standing Committee Dr Abdullah-Al-Mamun, along with other teachers.

After the meeting, Ducsu General Secretary SM Farhad told journalists that the programme aimed to hold the administration accountable for widespread mismanagement, harassment, lack of follow-up, absence of cross-checking systems and irregular presence of officials at the Registrar Building.

"Officials often remain absent, fail to provide services on time, and students have to spend five days to complete tasks that should take one day. We went to meet the registrar but did not find him initially; he arrived much later," he said.

Farhad further added, "We have also come to press our demands regarding the lack of residential seats for first-year students. We anticipated this crisis and have been trying for the past five months to prevent it. We informed the administration formally and informally, in meetings, at the Deans' Committee, and by visiting each hall and speaking to provosts. But no effective measures were taken, leaving us with no option but to protest today."

He also outlined their demands, saying that a clear policy must be established for seat allocation, including session-based binding to ensure a fixed timeframe for hall residence. Seats should be vacated upon completion of a session, and accommodation stipends must be ensured for those who do not receive seats.

"Continuing classes without accommodation or financial support is like torture for students," he added.

In response, Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr ABM Obaidul Islam told journalists and student leaders that he had listened to all their demands and would hold discussions with the hall provost standing committee.

"By the 30th of this month, a final report will be prepared detailing the number of vacant seats and the overall situation in each hall," he said.