Clothing, jewellery and tea stalls at DU: Convenience or nuisance?

Shirts, hoodies, sharis, panjabis, and shawls hung on portable racks. Beside them sat trays of homemade cakes, coconut puddings, attar bottles, bangles and clay ornaments. At first glance, one might feel like they have stepped into a mini New Market. But this is just a scene on a regular evening around Dhaka University's Faculty of Arts area. 

From around 2pm to 3pm, vendors begin setting up shop inside the campus, and the stretch remains abuzz with buyers and sellers until 9pm or even longer. While a handful of temporary stalls have long existed here, their numbers have surged in recent months.

A walk from the Arts Faculty gate to the Central Library around 7pm revealed the number of such makeshift shops at nearly 20. Clothing stalls dominate the scene, followed by tea corners and snack stands. 

In front of the Central Library, one vendor was spotted selling attar at Tk50, Tk75 and Tk150, and these low prices constantly invited a steady flow of customers. Shirts priced at Tk300 hung from a nearby rack, drawing attention from students and outsiders alike.

And this growing presence of shops has sparked fierce debate.

A campus long contested

In October, a proctorial team accompanied by Ducsu representatives launched an eviction drive around TSC and surrounding areas, targeting vendors and floating shops. The operation faced intense criticism online; some accused student leaders of using excessive force, while others agreed that clearing the area of illegal vendors was necessary to protect the interests of students.

Rifat Ridwan, a student of Economics, said these makeshift stalls began appearing a year ago, but their numbers have "skyrocketed" over the past two months.

He acknowledged both sides of the story, stating that he is troubled by the sight of such a crowd in front of a university library, but he also noted that a few of the shops are operated by DU students. 

"Many DU students come from marginalised backgrounds, often from low-income families. For them, having a stall can be financially helpful. If the university suddenly evicts these shops, they will suffer," said Rifat.

"However, while it might benefit some students individually, it doesn't align with the broader interests of the campus. It attracts outsiders," he added.

Among the vendors near the library, only two stalls are run by DU students — one tea stall called Gonochatantro, popular among regulars, and a jewellery stall managed by a female student.

Parvez, a student and one of the three partners running Gonochatantro for over two months, said they have invested over a few lakhs of taka on the venture. They even applied for a permit that was never approved. 

However, the stall was set. He earns enough from the stall to cover his personal expenses. But he admitted the proctorial team often evicts them without prior notice.

A day after this interview, on 7 December, the proctorial team conducted a sudden eviction drive again. The Gonochatantro stall was shut down. Shamsuddoha Sourav posted photos of the incident on Facebook, which sharply divided student reactions.

One social media user, Obayed Hossain, wrote, "They can't remove outsiders, but they misbehave with students."

Another, Abdullah Al Rakib, argued, "All stalls in front of the library should go. Sometimes it feels like New Market. But a separate designated area should be arranged for DU students."

Some students noted that these stalls offered homemade food, often cleaner than what is available elsewhere on campus. Their question: If the university cannot ensure hygienic food options, why evict those who do?

Who are the vendors?

Despite claims of student ownership, several sellers revealed a more complicated reality. Many admitted they were not DU students at all but were sitting in for a student "owner" during certain hours.

Two women selling homemade cakes stated that the stall belonged to one of their sisters-in-law, who is a student at Dhaka University (DU) and whose husband is a former DU student now working as a BCS official. 

TBS was unable to verify their claim. 

At two clothing stalls, both sellers identified themselves as outsiders. One young vendor, Faiyaz, initially claimed the stall belonged to his elder brother, a DU student. 

But when pressed further, he changed his story, saying he was actually the student's brother-in-law and that the owner had gone to the library to study for job exams. Others gave similar evasive answers: the owner was "at prayer", "out for work", or "on his way".

Around the halls, the picture is almost identical. Twelve stalls lined the footpaths, selling clothes, shoes and snacks. In front of Bijoy Ekattor Hall, the concentration of shops was the highest. But outside Sheikh Mujib Hall, there were only two vans selling winter clothing.

Saiful, a DU student who sells jhalmuri in front of the hall, explained that he works only three to four days a month, dedicating about an hour to preparation and five hours to selling. 

"I make Tk800 to Tk1,000 per session. With four or five sessions, I can cover my monthly expenses," he said.

With the university currently closed, there was a smaller presence of students, and several shops were shut due to a lack of customers.

Ratul, a resident of the Bijoy Ekattor Hall, believes some stalls are necessary, but only if reserved for DU students. "Evicting all of them will be a bad move because we need them. The administration must allocate a spot for students to run their shops." 

He also accused certain university staff and student leaders of taking money in exchange for allowing outsiders to occupy campus spots and granting them privilege over students.

However, not everyone is opposed. Nafisa Haque Subah, an MBA student, said, "As long as student safety is not compromised, I have no objection. But cleanliness must be maintained." 

The administration's stance

"DU is an academic institution; clothing stalls have no place here. No permission has ever been granted for such activity… We encourage students to focus on their studies. They receive stipends; many take tuition as a form of earning. A student selling tea on campus isn't appropriate. Some say we are limiting their entrepreneurial opportunities, but this isn't entrepreneurship."

Rafiqul Islam, Assistant Proctor, Dhaka University

According to Assistant Proctor Rafiqul Islam, these shops — student-run or otherwise — are unauthorised and inappropriate in a university environment.

"We have been working on this issue for a long time. DU is an academic institution; clothing stalls have no place here. No permission has ever been granted for such activity," he said.

He added that the administration had used microphone announcements for four consecutive days, instructing outsiders to leave. "The problem is they return elsewhere after we remove them from one spot."

In regards to DU students selling tea or snacks on campus, he said, "We encourage students to focus on their studies. They receive stipends; many take tuition as a form of earning. A student selling tea on campus isn't appropriate. Some say we are limiting their entrepreneurial opportunities but this isn't entrepreneurship."

Regarding the proposal to designate a fixed vending space for students, he said the matter is under discussion. 

"Once a location is finalised, we will invite applications from students and implement the project as instructed by the proctor," Islam added.