No hall facility for 70pc students

In the last 24 years, 24 new departments were opened at Chittagong University. The number of students has increased by more than 14,000. Some five new residential halls were constructed in the meantime, which can accommodate 2,632 students.

As a result, 70 per cent of the students do not have accommodation facilities. They have no other way than resorting to rented houses or local hostels near the campus or in Chattogram city, 22 kilometres away from the university.

When a new department is opened, it creates scope for recruiting teachers and staff, which often involves financial transactions. It also helps strengthen groups within the teachers’ association.

The problem, however, is that arbitrary opening of departments intensifies the accommodation crisis in student halls. Many students are then forced to live in messes and cottages, which increases their expenses and raises security concerns. In the end, it is the common students who suffer.

The matter of accommodation crisis resurfaced after two rounds of clashes between students and residents of Jobra village near the campus on 30 and 31 August. More than two hundred students were seriously injured in the clashes.

Some were hacked, while others suffered head injuries from brickbats. Following the violence, thousands of students fled Jobra village in fear. In many cases, locals forced students to vacate their rented houses within just two minutes.

Following the clash, Ganotantrik Chhatra Jote, Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal and Chhatrashibir held protest rallies and raised the demand to increase residential halls.

Following this, in an emergency syndicate meeting on the night of 2 September, the authorities announced that they would send a proposal to the government to construct 10 residential halls, including 5 for female students. Each hall will be a 10-storey building.

However, teachers have said that the proposal to build 10 halls at once is not realistic. They suggested that instead of rushing, the number of halls should be determined after discussions with all relevant stakeholders.

Vice-chancellor Muhammad Yahya Akhtar recently told Prothom Alo in his office that the accommodation crisis cannot be solved overnight. He said, “Even if I were given 10 magic lamps of Aladdin, I would not be able to solve this problem immediately.”

Year after year, the university has expanded by opening new departments and increasing the number of teachers and students. However, former and current teachers say they cannot confidently claim that the quality of education and research has improved. Instead, they pointed out that the university is making headlines for negative reasons such as clashes, killings, torture of students, and corruption in recruitment.

Chittagong University began its journey on 18 November 1966 with four departments, 200 students and only seven teachers. Since then, new departments have been opened at regular intervals. However, the major expansion in opening departments, recruiting teachers, and admitting students came mostly after 2000.

According to the university’s 1997–98 annual report, there were 28 departments under six faculties at the time. The number has now risen to 48. Faculties have increased to nine, while institutes have doubled from three to six. The number of teachers has also nearly doubled, climbing from 520 to 996.

An analysis of official records shows that over the past 25 years, Chittagong University has opened 24 new departments and institutes. Between 2000 and 2008, eight departments were launched. During the previous Awami League government (2009–2018), 16 more departments were introduced. At least 500 teachers were recruited in these departments, a process that has sparked widespread allegations.

In 2000, Chittagong University had 14,000 students. The number of students has increased to 28,515, meaning it has grown by 14,000 over the last 24 years.

From its establishment until 2000, the campus had nine residential halls with a total of 3,737 seats. The number of seats has increased by 2,632, following the construction of five halls after 2000. Currently, the 14 halls provide 6,369 seats. In some cases, two students share a single bed. Overall, around 9,000 students can reside in these halls, leaving 19,515 students without accommodation. As a result, 70 per cent of the students have to live off-campus.

Students say that due to limited accommodation, nearly 5,000 of them are forced to live in cottages and messes around the campus. Cottage rents range from Tk 1,000 to Tk 3,000, while mess fees are between Tk 2,000 and Tk 5,000. Altogether, staying in these campus-adjacent cottages and messes costs students around Tk 10,000 to Tk 12,000.

A large group of CU students also live in rented apartments in Chattogram city. Their average monthly expenses range from Tk 12,000 to Tk 14,000, covering travel, food, and accommodation.

Sadman Sadat, a student of the Department of Communication and Journalism, stays at a mess just outside the campus. He pays Tk 4,000 for rent, bringing his total monthly expenses to Tk 10,000–12,000. Sadman told Prothom Alo that if he got a seat in a hall, he could save Tk 4,000, and his food costs would also be lower.

At present, the university has 11,604 female students. There are five halls for women, providing accommodation for only 2,582 students. This means 78 per cent of female students have no on-campus accommodation and must stay in messes or cottages.

Sadia Islam, a second-year student of the Department of Islamic History and Culture, told Prothom Alo that she did not get a hall seat. She rents a place at a mess near the campus, spending Tk 8,000–10,000 per month. Since the clashes, she has been worried about her safety.

Senior faculty members believe that behind the continuous opening of new departments and increasing student intake lies teacher politics. In the university, the Yellow faction is one side in faculty politics, with followers among Awami League and left-leaning teachers. The Nationalist Teachers’ Forum represents BNP-supporting teachers, while the White faction is backed by a section of BNP supporters and teachers aligned with Jamaat.

A decade ago, faculty association elections were competitive, and no faction won unilaterally. For instance, in the 2010 elections, the White faction, representing BNP- and Jamaat-aligned teachers, held the majority. Since then, the Yellow panel has been winning consistently. The most recent election took place on 30 April last year, with the Yellow panel emerging victorious.

A teacher from the Yellow faction, speaking to Prothom Alo on condition of anonymity, said that over the past 15 years, only qualified candidates have been appointed. Many of those appointed during this period now hold various administrative positions.

Chittagong University has repeatedly come under scrutiny for irregularities and corruption in appointments. During the Awami League tenure, some appointments were made without official notifications, and posts were overstaffed. Under former vice-chancellor Shireen Akhter, phone recordings of recruitment deals involving officers and staff were leaked.

BNP-leaning teachers have also accused the current administration of politicising appointments. On 23 July this year, the Nationalist Teachers’ Forum sent a letter to Vice-Chancellor Muhammad Yahya Akhtar, alleging a lack of transparency, irregularities, nepotism, and partisan influence in the recruitment of both teachers and administrative staff.

The letter states that over the past six months, more than three hundred advertised positions have been filled. Appointments have been made at a rapid pace through a biased selection board, disregarding summer and monsoon breaks, day or night, and official closures. The neutrality of the committee has been questioned, as some appointments appear to favour specific individuals or groups.

However, Vice-Chancellor Muhammad Yahya Akhtar recently told Prothom Alo over the phone that he has ensured maximum transparency in the recruitment process. Written examinations have been introduced, and he insisted that no irregularities could now be found.

Former Chittagong University professor Sikandar Khan believes that students have been put at a disadvantage by the continuous opening of new departments.

He told Prothom Alo that departments have been opened at regular intervals without ensuring adequate facilities and resources. This has created situations that put students at risk. Ultimately, the opening of new departments often turns into a recruitment and appointment trade, which he describes as unfortunate.