DU senior students ask juniors to spend night outside hall

Ten students of Muktijodha Ziaur Rahman Hall were napping in the guestroom of Surja Sen Hall, several students said.

After spending time at various points on Dhaka University campus, they finally arrived at Surja Sen Hall around 2am. Senior students of Chhatra League at Ziaur Rahman Hall had asked them to stay outside for a night.

Two of the students who had been called out on Thursday night, said on condition of anonymity, that first of all one of their friends, instructed by these senior 'brothers', had asked them to get up at 4:20am. After spending most of the night away from their hall, finally they were asked to return. The outing for the night is complete, they were informed. They, however, declined to reveal the identity of the ' big brother'.

First year students of different departments stay at the 'gono room' of Ziaur Rahman Hall. They were called to the guest room on Thursday night. As per the instructions, they left the hall to spend the night outside.

Students of first and second year do not get seats due to the accommodation crisis. They have to stay at the 'gono room' at the mercy of student organisations affiliated to the ruling party.

The 'guest room' evokes feelings of panic among the general students.

The students are mentally tortured at the guest rooms in the name of 'teaching manners'. It is called 'guest room' as the guest rooms of the halls are used for this purpose. But such things can happen in the room of a leader or in an open field. The students of first year have to undergo the torture of 'guest room'. BCL top leaders, however, claim that this is just a friendly get-together of senior and junior students.

Ruling Awami League student wing Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) pledged to solve the accommodation crisis before the hall unions and DUCSU elections in March. BCL leaders also pledged that they would take initiatives to stop torture in the guest rooms in the name of teaching manners. But the common students claim the situation has not improved.

While talking to Prothom Alo, Dhaka University Central Students’ Union (DUCSU) assistant general secretary Saddam Hossain admitted the culture of guest room could not be stopped fully. But BCL is working to stop it, he said, adding it will be stopped naturally if the accommodation crisis is solved.