Khulna University: Students see no major changes, facilities have not improved

In Khulna University, which had been free of student politics, students had expected changes after the mass uprising. However, reality tells a different tale. For a large portion of students, campus life has remained almost unchanged, with housing problems, shortage of classrooms, lack of cultural activities and inadequate basic services.

Prothom Alo spoke with 15 students and teachers to learn what changes have taken place on the Khulna University campus after the fall resulting from the mass uprising. When commenting on overall changes, most of them did not wish to be identified by name. The majority of them were of the opinion that no major visible changes had occurred and that everything remained much as before.

A fourth-year student of the university’s physics department said that Khulna is the only public university free from student politics. “That is a matter of pride,” he said. A student enrolls here with dreams, but soon learns that they will not be able to avail space in a dormitory for a long time. According to him, no significant fundamental difference is visible before and after the mass uprising.

Also, although university rankings are important for overseas jobs and scholarships, the university’s ranking is not at a good level and has been on a steady decline. He identified the shortage of residential halls, classrooms, and opportunities for field research as the biggest problems. In his view, solving these fundamental issues should be given greater priority than infrastructure such as a gymnasium or swimming pool.

Recently, during a discussion in the cafeteria on this issue, another student said that the greenery on campus is decreasing and the surroundings are gradually being covered in concrete, yet the administration lacks adequate planning to address this.

On a positive note, however, he said that course fees at the university have been reduced somewhat and that the medical center has improved slightly compared with before. A psychologist had also been appointed to provide counseling services. Dental and ophthalmology units have also been introduced. However, there is still a shortage in the supply of medicines. There are also shortcomings in other basic services.

According to the latest Student Handbook published by Khulna University, the total number of undergraduate and graduate students currently stands at 9,509. Of these, 5,031 are male students and remaining female.
There are a total of 1,364 seats in three halls for male students. On the other hand, there are 1,550 seats in two halls for female students. That means there is one seat for every four male students and one seat for every three female students.

Students complain that because of the housing shortage, they are being deprived of a proper educational environment. Living outside campus creates security worries. Then there are the additional costs of transportation and rent.

Arpita, a third-year student of the Mass Communication and Journalism Discipline, has still not received a hall seat. As a result, she is compelled to commute every day from her home, which is about 18 kilometers from campus. A student attached to Aparajita Hall, Arpita told Prothom Alo, “I’m about to enter my fourth year, but I still haven’t received a seat in a university hall. Every day I have to travel a long distance to come to campus. “The supplementary courses aimed at improving students’ skills usually begin after regular classes. Because my home is far away and because of safety concerns, I’m unable to join these courses.”

A non-resident student of Bijoy ’24 Hall shared a similar experience. Speaking to Prothom Alo on condition of anonymity, he said, “We feel safer living in the halls. If we stay on campus, studying is also more convenient. But we are forced to live outside. We have to deal with security concerns, food problems, water problems, and transportation difficulties. On top of that, there is the burden of additional rent.”

At various times, students have organised protests and raised demands to resolve the housing crisis.

Two months after the mass uprising, students presented a 37-point charter of demands through a “Platform for Raising Demands.”

These included ensuring 100 per cent residential accommodation, establishing a modern and safe hall system, rewriting hall regulations, ensuring student participation, and keeping the halls open year-round.
Students point out that 13 of the university’s 29 disciplines were introduced after 2009.

However, during the same period, only two new halls were constructed.
The most recent hall for female students, Bijoy ’24 Hall, was opened in 2016. The most recent hall for male students, currently Bir Sreshtho Mohammad Ruhul Amin Hall, was opened in 2015. Although five additional disciplines have been launched since then, no new hall has been built.

A student from the 2023 batch of the Sociology Department said, “Because I can’t stay in a hall, I have to take on more private tutoring to earn enough to cover the extra expenses. By the time I finish, it’s 10 pm. After that, I don’t have the energy left to do anything else. Our friends who can stay in the halls can spend that time researching or hanging out with friends in the evening.”

Alongside the housing shortage, Khulna University is also facing a severe classroom shortage. Most departments are affected by this problem. The Human Resource Management Department launched in 2016, still has only one classroom of its own. It has no seminar library or computer laboratory.

Ripon Kumar Pal, Assistant Professor of the department, told Prothom Alo that they have to borrow two rooms from the Business Administration Department to conduct classes. Because of the shortage, classes sometimes have to begin as early as 8 am.

Students have no common room, and teachers also lack adequate office space. There is not even a library room. The situation creates serious difficulties outside class hours as well. The administration has verbally assured them that the crisis will ease once construction of a new academic building is completed.

Pro-Vice-Chancellor Professor Md. Harunur Rashid Khan said that the university does not have sufficient land available for constructing new buildings. He told Prothom Alo that the nature of the soil here also makes vertical expansion difficult. For the university’s expansion, 230 acres of land outside the campus boundary need to be acquired.

A DPP (Development Project Proposal) has been submitted to the government for this purpose. The project includes plans for multiple new halls and academic buildings, among other developments.

For a long time, students have expressed dissatisfaction with the quality of food in Khulna University’s residential halls. Most are unhappy with the food quality in the halls’ dining facilities and canteens. As a result, a large portion of the university community regularly eats at food stalls along Hall Road outside the halls. According to students, around 70 per cent of them depend on food from outside the halls.

Saikat Das, a fourth-year student of the Electronics and Communication Engineering Department, told Prothom Alo that the cost of lunch and dinner combined in the hall dining facility is 70 taka. The meal includes one piece of chicken, fish, or an egg. Rice and lentils are unlimited. “But the quality of the food is such that you can’t eat it continuously for two or three days,” he said, “The food in the hall canteen is not very satisfactory either and that’s why most students eat at the shops along Hall Road. I don’t think there has been any significant improvement in food quality.”

Limon Sheikh, a master’s student in the History and Civilization Department and a resident of Khan Jahan Ali Hall, said that it the food on Hall Road is of poor quality, but even so, it is somewhat better than the food in the halls.

Eating outside costs on, average around 130 taka a day. By the end of the month, that becomes a significant expense.

Before the mass uprising, reports of drugs, theft, and various criminal incidents were common in areas adjacent to Khulna University. At least five students said that drug syndicates remain active in and around the campus. They claim that the availability of chemical drugs has actually increased compared to before. Drugs can easily be obtained in several areas adjacent to the campus.

Last April, local residents and students detained a young man in the Islamnagar (Hall Road) area near the university and handed him over to the police with yaba tablets and cannabis. During interrogation, the individual stated that he also supplied drugs to several students. Student phone numbers were reportedly stored in his mobile phone under coded names.

Professor Md. Nazmus Sadat, Director of Student Affairs, said that if evidence is found linking any university student to drug use or drug dealing, the university administration will take strict legal action against them.  He said the university follows a “zero tolerance” policy regarding drugs.

There have long been allegations that during the rule of the Awami League, administrative positions at Khulna University, including vice-chancellor, pro-vice-chancellor, and hall provost, were assigned to teachers aligned with the party.

Even now, teachers are reportedly being appointed to various administrative responsibilities on the basis of political affiliation.
According to faculty members, teachers aligned with the BNP currently occupy many administrative positions. At the same time, in order to maintain administrative control, some individuals have been assigned multiple important posts as additional responsibilities. Professor Md. Khasrul Alam of the Business Administration Department, who serves as provost of Khan Jahan Ali Hall, has also been appointed administrator of the Engineering Department (above the chief engineer). Previously, there was no administrator position in that office.

Acting Registrar Professor SM Mahbubur Rahman has also been appointed Director of the Physical Education Department as an additional responsibility.

When asked about this, Pro-Vice-Chancellor Professor Md. Harunur Rashid said that individuals are sometimes given additional responsibilities when they possess expertise in a particular area. The Pro-Vice-Chancellor further stated that, given current budget realities, it is not possible to provide food subsidies for students. He added that university rankings are determined on the basis of various indicators. Maintaining the same position at all times is difficult. However, he noted that Khulna University graduates are performing well both at home and abroad.

Claiming that faculty recruitment at the university has been conducted through a completely transparent process, he further said, “It is not true that no changes have occurred at all. However, not only at this university, but across the country, some of the things that happened before 5 August are still being repeated in certain cases.”

At one time, nearly 32 student organisations were active at the university. However, many of them have now become inactive. Students say that due to a lack of proper patronage, these organisations are unable to carry out regular activities. The situation has deteriorated since the mass uprising. Many sponsors are no longer interested in funding cultural activities. As a result, financial shortages for organising programs and events have become severe.

However, after the mass uprising, Khulna University has hosted several rounds of Qawwali evenings and events such as a “Sirat Conference” for the first time.

Nafia Wahid, General Secretary of the Khulna University Career Club, told Prothom Alo that regular large-scale events are no longer possible because sponsoring organisations have lost interest. Most student organisations have now become inactive.

Although some are trying to revive themselves, popular organisations such as Spark, Theatre Nipun, and Nri-Natya no longer conduct activities on a regular basis.