Ducsu launches 'female zone' at TSC cafeteria, sparks criticism
Many students have questioned why such an initiative was prioritised before addressing long-standing demands of women students regarding sanitation, washroom conditions and security at the TSC.
The Dhaka University Central Students' Union (Ducsu) yesterday (23 July) introduced a separate "female zone" for women students at the cafeteria of the university's Teacher-Student Centre (TSC), drawing mixed reactions on social media and across the campus.
Many students have questioned why such an initiative was prioritised before addressing long-standing demands of women students regarding sanitation, washroom conditions and security at the TSC.
The "female zone" was inaugurated at the TSC cafeteria. A new food menu, including plain rice, vegetables, lentils and meat, was also introduced at the cafeteria.
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Mansura Alam, vice-president of the central committee of Chhatra Dal and a reserved-seat lawmaker, wrote on Facebook, "I cannot understand in any way why there should be a female zone in the cafeteria of a co-educational institution.
"If we do not speak about this today, tomorrow we will see a female zone in the middle of classrooms and even at Swapan Mama's shop. The Jamaat-style thinking they show is just enough to make people disgusted," she added.
In a Facebook post last night, Nusaiba Ahmed, a student of the university's Women and Gender Studies department, said, "If you (Ducsu) had thought about women's issues beyond your own party (Shibir), you would have fixed the TSC washrooms first, fixed the vending machines and arranged at least two curtains outside the two washrooms.
She added, "Instead of doing such bizarre and ugly things, you should not have set up your own watchtowers first."
Ducsu Common Room, Reading Room and Cafeteria Secretary Umme Salma said the female zone was set up at the TSC cafeteria using part of Ducsu's limited budget, considering the comfort, privacy and needs of women students.
She said the space is open for all women students of Dhaka University.
Umme Salma claimed that although some leaders of Chhatra Dal and left-leaning organisations, who believe in the "mindset" that every Ducsu initiative must be opposed, have made unnecessary criticism of the move, general students have welcomed it.
She described the initiative as an "extremely important" step.
