Jagannath University female hall: Eight students live in four-bed rooms, ‘crammed’ into reading rooms

Eight students are staying in rooms meant for four. The reading room has only 90 seats for nearly 1,250 female students. Along with accommodation shortages, there are problems with safe drinking water, slow internet, and gas shortages. The quality of food is also being questioned. Overall, students of Jagannath University’s (JnU) Nawab Faizunnesa Chowdhurani Hall—the university’s only female dormitory—are facing severe hardship.

Students said no effective solution to these issues has been implemented even after four years since the hall was opened.

Jagannath University has around 20,000 students, but there is only one residential hall, and it is for female students only. The hall is named Nawab Faizunnesa Chowdhurani Hall.

According to university administration data, the hall was first inaugurated on 20 October 2020. At that time, it was named Bangamata Sheikh Fazilatunnesa Mujib Hall. It was inaugurated again on 16 March 2022. Students moved into the hall the following day, on 17 March. After the July mass uprising, the hall’s name was changed again on 24 June 2025.

The 16-storey residential building has a total of 163 rooms. On the ground floor there is a canteen, the provost’s office, office assistants’ rooms, and a guest room. The second floor has house tutors’ rooms and an auditorium. The third floor contains a common room. The fourth floor has a reading room and a common dormitory area for students.

From the fifth floor onwards, student room-based accommodation begins. Each floor has 12 bedrooms and 7 bathrooms/toilets. These rooms currently accommodate about 1,250 students, although they were originally intended for 600. Instead of four students per room, up to eight students are now living in each room.

Hall sources said extra narrow beds have been attached to the steel beds provided by the hall. In this way, students are forced to live in a “crammed” condition. Students complain that this disrupts their study environment and also violates personal privacy.

Students said that for eight students, there are only four study tables per room. If one person sits to study, others are left without space. Many are forced to go to the reading room. But there too, seating is insufficient—only 90 seats are available for more than a thousand students.

A fourth-year resident student, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Prothom Alo, “Due to lack of space in the room, it is not possible to study properly. So we have to go to the reading room. But it is also crowded there. Then we are forced to sit and study on the bed.”

Hall sources said that on each floor, more than 100 students live on average. Yet there are only two taps in the drinking water filters. As a result, students have to line up for water. When filter kits are being replaced, students must go to other floors to collect drinking water.

There is also dissatisfaction with the quality of food in the hall dining service. Students complain that the quantity is insufficient and the quality is not satisfactory. As a result, many bring groceries from outside and cook for themselves. But even there, difficulties persist. Each floor has only four stoves. Moreover, gas pressure remains low from morning to evening. When gas pressure increases at night, students must wait in long queues to cook. Sometimes they have to stay awake until midnight to cook.

Students also complain that toilets and bathrooms are not cleaned regularly. At times, accumulated dirt creates a foul smell, posing health risks. There is also no effective medical service system in the hall.

According to resident students, only two guards are responsible for the entire hall’s security. Although CCTV cameras are installed, many are non-functional. As a result, female students feel insecure.

The 16-storey hall has only four lifts—two large and two small. All lifts are not always operational. Sometimes only two work while the others remain out of service. There are also occasional incidents of lifts suddenly stopping.

A third-year student, Sabihah Islam, told Prothom Alo, “Despite repeatedly informing the administration, we do not see any effective steps to solve the lift problem. Perhaps nothing will be done unless a major accident occurs.”

Students say slow internet is affecting academic activities. They report repeated difficulties in online classes, assignments, and research work. Although the hall administration claims that new routers have been installed in each room, students say the problem has not been solved.

Residents say administrative intervention is needed to resolve these issues. Regarding this, the vice-president of the Nawab Faizunnesa Chowdhurani Hall union, Jannatul Ummi Tarin, told Prothom Alo, “There are too many problems in the hall. The process of solving them takes time. The new administration expects quick action.”

The general secretary of the hall union, Sumaiya Tasneem, said, “There are already too many students in the hall. Those who truly need accommodation should be given the opportunity to stay. At the same time, improving food quality and establishing a medical center are urgent.”

Regarding these issues, Prothom Alo contacted Hall Provost Anjum Ara. She claimed that since taking responsibility, she has brought significant improvements to the hall.

She said, “The administration has asked for information regarding renovation of the auditorium, and we have sent it. Due to funds allocated by the administration, the price of food in the hall has been reduced. There is a room for medical services, but there is no doctor or nurse. We have now decided to at least bring some medicines to help the students. The vice-chancellor has instructed us to continue working on other matters. If funds are allocated, these issues can be addressed.”

Responding to students, Anjum Ara also made counter-allegations, saying that there is group-based politics inside the hall, unrest, and discussions about individuals’ weaknesses and shortcomings.