Why eviction drive against vendors on DU campus drawing questions

Fresh tensions have flared on Dhaka University (DU) campus over an eviction drive targeting unauthorised mobile vendors and homeless people, led by the university's proctorial team with support from newly elected leaders of Dhaka University Central Students' Union (Ducsu). 

The operation, which began on Thursday, is being spearheaded by Ducsu Social Welfare Secretary AB Zubair and member Sarba Mitra Chakma.

On Saturday night, hawkers and left-wing student activists staged a protest march through the campus, denouncing the drive as violent and unjust. The demonstration sparked a counter-protest by Ducsu leaders later that night, intensifying the standoff and putting the campus in the spotlight.

The proctorial team said they had issued prior notices and verbally reminded vendors to leave. However, the hawkers claimed they were not given enough time to move.

Assistant Proctor Rafiqul Islam told The Business Standard that written notices were not issued as they do not meet formally with the vendors. 

"We have repeatedly informed them verbally. Moreover, a few days before each operation, we announce the planned eviction publicly using loudspeakers, in coordination with the police,  the Department of Social Services, or the City Corporation," he said.

Meanwhile, opponents questioned the urgency and method of the eviction, alleging that the drive was selective and heavy-handed without prior notice. One Facebook user wrote that the campus "belongs to everyone – including vagrants and small vendors of all colours."

Moshahida Sultana, a Dhaka University teacher and member of the University Teachers' Network, criticised the move on social media, writing, "After fighting against autocracy, do we now want to bring back campus thuggery? Absurd! Not just hawkers – no one has the right to use force against a dog, a cat, or any citizen."

The genesis of conflict 

Mobile vendors allege that the eviction drive turned violent, resulting in assaults and damage to property.

Md Mohinuddin, who operated a floating momo stall named Darjeeling Momo near the Ramna Kali Temple gate, recounted his ordeal: "Many of us were already moving away as they approached, but they suddenly attacked. I was taking my cart away when they smashed it completely."

That evening, around 9pm, the evicted hawkers and vendors marched on campus, joined by leftist student activists in solidarity. Two hours later, Ducsu's AB Zubair, accompanied by over 50 students from various hall unions, organised a counter-protest in front of the Proctor's Office.

At 11:30pm, Zubair and his group held a meeting with several assistant proctors, submitting a written demand for disciplinary action against the students who had participated in the earlier march. 

Assistant Proctor Rafiqul confirmed that those involved would be issued "show-cause" notices.

Why the evictions were launched

DU campus lies at the heart of the capital, surrounded by major hospitals and commercial zones. Over the years, its internal roads have seen growing congestion and unregulated movement of non-students, vendors, and street dwellers.

Students – particularly women – have long expressed concerns about safety, citing harassment and other unpleasant incidents involving outsiders. There have also been allegations of drug use and illegal activities linked to some vendors. 

The issue of illegal shops and encroachment is not new. Complaints of extortion involving mobile vendors have circulated for years, with accusations occasionally directed even at members of the university's proctorial team. 

In 2023, the administration expelled one proctorial member and warned six others following an internal probe. Subsequently, most illegal shops on campus were removed. 

However, by mid-2024, the vendors had returned, particularly in busy areas such as the Teacher-Student Centre (TSC). Despite student pressure, the administration struggled to enforce control.

During the most recent Ducsu elections, nearly every panel pledged to curb the movement of external vehicles and evict street vendors and vagrants. 

The Shibir-backed panel, for instance, promised to restore order through eviction drives, while the Chhatra Dal-supported panel proposed dividing the campus into Green, Yellow, and Red Zones to regulate entry. 

Opposition from left

Israt Jahan Emu, a member of the Revolutionary Students Unity, told TBS: "These evictions are not being carried out everywhere – shops in front of the Central Library, for example, remain untouched. It raises suspicions of partiality and possible extortion, echoing past allegations that members of the proctorial team took bribes or free favours. Such claims deserve a thorough investigation."

She added: "Our protest was not against maintaining campus discipline, but against the assault and destruction of the hawkers' livelihoods. Many were not even allowed to retrieve their daily earnings. Even if someone is just a street collector, treating them in such an inhumane way is unacceptable. Ducsu or any student union does not have the authority to carry out such actions."

Debate over Ducsu's role and authority 

The involvement of Ducsu leaders in the eviction drive has triggered widespread debate on the limits of the student union's authority. Analysts and academics argue that the university administration alone holds the mandate to conduct evictions or enforce regulations.

Prof Zobaida Nasreen, a political analyst and anthropologist at Dhaka University, told TBS: "This kind of interference by Ducsu is being viewed as a form of authoritarian overreach. The proctorial team and university administration exist precisely to handle these issues. When Ducsu assumes such powers, it risks repeating the authoritarian tendencies of past ruling student bodies like the Chhatra League or the Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal."

However, Ducsu General Secretary SM Farhad defended, stating: "If illegal activities persist despite the administration's presence, that means the administration is not functioning effectively. Ducsu's supervision is essential to ensure checks and balances. When we act to protect campus security, there should be no objection. It is our duty to safeguard the university environment and represent students' voices."

Assistant Proctor Rafiqul Islam, meanwhile, downplayed the controversy, asserting: "Regardless of whether it involves Ducsu or any other group, a student is still a student. Our aim is not to use students as enforcers. We are simply fulfilling our duties in carrying out the eviction as mandated."

'Rehabilitation is responsibility of state' 

Beyond questions of authority and procedure lies a pressing social issue: what becomes of those evicted?

Professor Md Rabiul Islam of the Institute of Social Welfare and Research at Dhaka University emphasised, "The rehabilitation of these vagrants and hawkers is the responsibility of the State," 

"The Ministry of Social Welfare and the Department of Social Services can offer skill-development programmes – such as tailoring, electrical work, or livestock rearing—to help them re-enter the job market."

He added that while Dhaka University must preserve its academic and social environment, this should not come at the cost of human dignity.

"The university can't continue in this manner. A balance must be struck through a coordinated, humane approach – perhaps through a public-private partnership," he suggested.