Kifayat Ul Haq, a student of the 2021–22 academic year in the Department of Mass Communication and Journalism at Cumilla University, has been struggling to secure a seat in a residential hall since admission.
A native of Boalkhali upazila in Chattogram, he has been left with no choice but to live in a rented place (locally known as student mess) in the Kotbari area of Cumilla. This arrangement costs him extra money every month and wastes valuable commuting time.
Kifayat is not alone. More than two-thirds of Cumilla University students are compelled to stay in rented houses off campus.
“Earlier, for political and other reasons, I couldn’t get a seat in a hall. Even now, I don’t know if I’ll ever get one. Living in a mess forces me to spend extra money every month. In my first year, I couldn’t manage tuition, and even in the second year, I got one with great difficulty. Most students here face the same problem for years,” Kifayat told Prothom Alo.
According to the Registrar’s Office, Cumilla University currently has 6,832 students. But its five residential halls can accommodate only 1,502 students—just 21.98 per cent of the total. The remaining 78.02 per cent are left to arrange off-campus housing.
Although the university is now 19 years old, authorities have yet to resolve the accommodation crisis. The Vice-Chancellor, however, says expansion is underway, including construction of a new campus with four residential halls. By June next year, he hopes the housing problem will be largely addressed.
4 out of 5 students in rented houses
Sources say Cumilla University was established on 28 May, 2006, as the country’s 26th public university on the Lalmai–Mainamati red-soil hills and plains. Academic activities began a year later, on 28 May, 2007.
Even among the 22 per cent who have managed seats in the five existing halls, conditions are far from comfortable, with overcrowding a constant problem.
The university has 19 departments with 6,832 enrolled students, including 1,046 admitted in the 2024–25 academic year. Classes for the new batch began on 1 July, but none have yet been allotted hall seats.
A spot check of the five halls last Saturday revealed severe overcrowding. Nawab Faizunnesa Chowdhurani Hall, one of two female halls, was originally designed for 180 students but now houses 302.
Suniti-Shanti Hall (formerly Sheikh Hasina Hall) was built for 256 students but accommodates 400. While this means nearly all female students can stay on campus, conditions are cramped.
A resident of Nawab Faizunnesa Chowdhurani Hall, requesting anonymity, said, “I managed to get a seat with much difficulty, but it’s tough living here. Sometimes two students are forced to share one seat. The shortage is severe.”
Hall provost Sumaiya Afrin admitted this, telling Prothom Alo: “Currently, no student is left without accommodation, but since the number exceeds the official seat count, many are living under strain.”
The same applies to the three male halls. Shahid Dhirendranath Dutta Hall was built for 143 students but houses 150. Kazi Nazrul Islam Hall was meant for 142 but accommodates 180. Bijoy-24 Hall (formerly Bangabandhu Hall), combining both old and new buildings, had 412 seats but now shelters 470 students.
Provost of Shahid Dhirendranath Dutta Hall, Md. Zia Uddin, said: “No student is left without accommodation here. Two ground-floor rooms now house 16 students from last year’s intake—eight in each room. But each student has their own seat.”
New students struggling too
This year’s freshers are also suffering without hall seats. Sanjida Akter, a newly admitted student, said, “We had to rent a flat near the university with several others. It costs extra, and security is also a concern. As new students, most of us haven’t managed private tuition, so the financial burden falls heavily on our families. We want an immediate solution.”
At Bijoy-24 Hall, students of the 18th batch, admitted last year, are crowded into ground-floor rooms. One student, requesting anonymity, said: “Some rooms house 10 of us, others 12. It’s impossible to maintain a proper study environment. My father is a low-income earner, but I’m forced to live here under hardship.”
Vice-Chancellor Professor Haider Ali acknowledged the long-standing problem: “The good news is that four new large halls are under construction on the extended campus, being built by the army. By June next year, if not all four, at least three will be ready for handover. Once they open, the accommodation crisis will ease significantly.”
At least five students without hall seats told Prothom Alo that the shortage causes daily stress. They worry each month about paying rent for mess accommodation, while those living in the city cannot spend enough time on campus and miss out on the vibrant university culture. Security, commuting, and financial pressures remain constant challenges.