A group of Dhaka University female students on Monday demanded round-the-clock access to women’s residential halls and submitted a memorandum to Vice-Chancellor Prof ABM Obaidul Islam.
The students, under the banner “Boishomyahin Nari Hall Chai” (We Want Discrimination-free Women’s Halls), placed three demands aimed at ensuring what they described as their legitimate rights.
Several female leaders of the Dhaka University unit of Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal, along with Dhaka University Central Students’ Union Research Secretary Sanjida Ahmed Tonni and member Hema Chakma, were present during the submission.
Earlier, the students gathered on the Central Library premises from 10am to collect opinions, personal experiences and signatures in support of their campaign.
Their demands include abolishing the existing evening “curfew” and keeping all women’s halls open 24 hours, allowing regular female students to enter any women’s hall with a valid university identity card and stay overnight with prior permission, and permitting female family members to accompany students to their rooms.
Explaining their demands, the platform said female students might need to enter or leave their halls at any time because of academic work, research, medical emergencies, organisational responsibilities, family needs or other personal emergencies.
It said the demand was not merely for an extension of the existing entry deadline, but for a regulated, secure and systematic 24-hour access system at all women’s residential halls.
The students expressed hope that the university administration would consider their demands and take prompt steps towards a positive decision.
Under the existing rules, only resident students are allowed to enter women’s residential halls. Female students attached to a hall but not residing there are generally denied entry.
Hall gates are usually closed at around 10pm, and students seeking entry after the designated time must obtain prior permission from the hall authorities.
