DU authorities mull over issuing ID cards for former students

The Dhaka University authorities have been pondering on issuing ID cards for former students through alumni associations so that they can easily enter the campus.

The authorities are also thinking about seeking help from all the relevant government organisations including the social welfare department to curb the movement of rootless people and vagabonds on the campus.

Newly appointed proctor of Dhaka University, Saifuddin Ahmed, issued a notification on 18 September that an operation would be conducted in the shortest possible time to make the campus free from outsiders.

The notice was widely discussed and criticised on social media, Facebook. The former students of the university reacted sharply to the initiative.

In this context, the university administration is thinking about the issue anew.

Proctor Saifuddin Ahmed said that there is no bar for former students to come to Dhaka University campus.

He told Prothom Alo, alumni (ex-students) are an important part of the university all over the world. They have an “ownership” in the university.

Mentioning that he will talk to the alumni associations of the university about the former students, the proctor said, “We will request them to issue ID cards to the members so that the former students can use it, if there is any necessity.”

The proctor further said that the problem of outsiders in the campus is being considered to be solved “systematically”.

He said, “Every day we have to deal with vagabonds and mentally unstable people in the campus. We are tired of doing this. Now we are thinking of solving the matter systematically. For this we are talking with the concerned institutions, including the social welfare department, of the state. We are going through the process so that they come and take the vagabonds and mentally unstable people from the campus and take necessary measures.

The notice the proctor issued on 18 September said about conducting a mobile court in the campus soon to free it from outsiders. It also requested all the students to carry their ID cards and those who lost their cards were asked to carry proper evidence of their identity.

Following the criticism, the proctor issued another notice.

Speaking about this, Saifuddin Ahmed told Prothom Alo, “The previous notice demands many explanations. That is why the students have been asked to carry their valid ID cards while on the campus.

The new notice did not say anything about the mobile court.

Proctor Saifuddin Ahmed said if there is any crime committed on the campus, they need to know whether any outsider or any student was involved with the incident. That is why they asked the students to carry their ID cards.