Legal notice demanding cancellation of ban on married female students at DU dorms

A legal notice has been issued against the Dhaka University authorities demanding cancellation of its recent directives and the rules banning the married female students from staying at dormitories.

"The authorities must take the necessary steps to cancel the ban within three working days of receiving the notice. Otherwise, a writ petition will be filed in the high court," said the notice.

Mohammad Shishir Monir, a Supreme Court lawyer and a former student of DU's law department, sent the notice today.

The legal notice has been sent to the vice-chancellor, registrar, proctor, and provost of Bangladesh-Kuwait Maitree Hall, Shamsun Nahar Hall, and Kabi Sufia Kamal Hall.

Rule no 16 of Shamsunnahar Hall's seat allocation and disciplinary rules includes a provision to cancel the dormitory seat for any married or pregnant female student which is highly discriminatory, said the notice.

The rule will prevent married female students from pursuing higher studies without a proper residential provision, it furthered.

According to Article 27 of the Constitution, all citizens are equal to the law and the state cannot discriminate against any citizen based on their religion, community, race, gender or place of birth, according to Article 28 of the Constitution. Therefore, the rule is contradictory to these two articles.

A group of female students from five residential halls of the university held a press conference on Friday with a four point demand including the removal of the rule.