Following multiple earthquakes and aftershocks that caused cracks in most residential halls and injured several students, Dhaka University administration has finally taken emergency hall renovation measures.
The step was taken after the campus grew tense. Four tremors, recorded within the span of two days, triggered prolonged discussion and criticism about the risky infrastructure at campus.
In an emergency syndicate meeting at 9pm on Saturday, university authorities announced the suspension of all classes and examinations for 14 days starting Sunday. Residential students were also instructed to vacate halls to prevent any untoward incidents.
Simultaneously, an expert team led by BUET Professor Dr Syed Ishtiaq Ahmad inspected Haji Muhammad Mohsin Hall and Bangladesh-Kuwait Maitree Hall on Sunday.
Responding to a query, Dhaka University Proctor Saifuddin Ahmed told TIMES of Bangladesh, “Some of our students were injured in the earthquakes. Many cannot return to their halls. It is essential to inspect every room thoroughly.
“This led to the emergency syndicate meeting where classes and exams were cancelled, and residential students were instructed to vacate halls.”
During the earthquakes on Friday and Saturday, students of the older halls previously identified as risky were particularly fearful, alongside others. Hall union leaders have confirmed cracks in at least ten halls, though complete information about damage to other halls is not yet available.
On Friday, at least 15 students received first-aid at the Shahid Buddhijibe Dr Muhammad Mortaza Medical Centre for jumping from roofs or spraining their feet in panic during the tremors.
Moreover, many others received treatment at Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH). In the earthquake the very next day, a total of six students were injured, including three women from Shamsunnahar Hall.
Among them, one is suspected of having a broken leg, according to Abdullah Al Minhaj, Health Affairs Secretary of the Dhaka University Central Hall Union.
For a long time, plasters coming off from walls and ceilings, and exposed rods had become regular occurrences. Students alleged that often only paint or a little cement was used to cover the damaged areas, with no permanent repair work carried out.
They believe that if the renovation of the risky halls had started earlier, such untoward incidents could have been avoided. Since the earthquakes, the issue has been widely discussed and criticised by a private Facebook group of DU students.
A visit to at least nine DU halls revealed that plaster is coming off from the ceilings in various places on the verandas and in rooms. In some places, rods were also exposed. Moreover, a large crack is clearly visible along the middle of the second-floor veranda of Salimullah Muslim Hall.
Incidentally, DU’s acting chief engineer Kazi Mohammad Akram Hossain informed TIMES that although several projects for hall repairs were proposed, work could not be started due to a lack of budget approval from the government.
However, it was decided in the emergency meeting on Saturday night that all risky halls, including Haji Muhammad Mohsin Hall, would be quickly inspected by an expert team.
The inspection team will include hall provosts, residential teachers, and representatives from DUCSU and hall unions. The technical evaluation report will be published, and if halls are deemed risky, arrangements will be made to relocate students to safe places.
Already concerned about residential hall safety, students from several halls had been demanding seat allocations in the “Swadhinata Bhaban,” built for the university’s third-class employees.
However, after Friday’s 5.7 magnitude earthquake, students of Mohsin Hall broke the locks of several rooms in the building and moved in. A group of students from Bangladesh-Kuwait Maitree Hall also began a sit-in programme on Saturday night, demanding seat allocations in the building.
After the decision to suspend classes and exams, students from several residential halls began vacating the halls from Sunday morning. However, a section of students is staying in the halls, rejecting this decision.
But a group of DU students staged a sit-in with mats and pillows in front of the DU vice-chancellor’s residence, with three demands including safe accommodation.
During the programme, they labelled the DU administration and Dhaka University Central Students’ Union (Ducsu) as having “double standards.”
However, in a meeting of the DU Provost Standing Committee on Sunday, a 5pm deadline was given to vacate the halls. The meeting further decided to keep all hall canteens and dining facilities closed.
Students were also instructed to submit their room keys to the relevant administration after vacating their rooms.
