DU Correspondent

A proposal to build four extended female student halls at an estimated cost of Tk 2,841.86 crore has been sent to the government for approval, as part of urgent steps to address the accommodation crisis for female students at Dhaka University.

This information was confirmed by the university's public relations office on Monday evening.

The announcement states that if the project is approved, arrangements will be made for the accommodation of nearly 3,000 female students. Additionally, the proposed Bangladesh-China Friendship Hall Construction Project, costing 244 crore taka with financial assistance from the Chinese government, is currently awaiting approval from the ministry. On Monday, the Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh, Yao Wen, reaffirmed China's commitment to supporting the construction of female student hostels during an event at the university.

The announcement further mentions that under Dhaka University’s broader development project, the proposed construction of four extended female student hostels with an estimated cost of 2,841.86 crore taka is in progress. The project includes the demolition of Shahnewaz Hostel to build a 15-story female student hostel, the construction of two expansion buildings (10-story and 6-story) for Shamsun Nahar Hall, the demolition of staff quarters B and D at the Leather Engineering and Technology Institute to build a combined 11-story and 8-story female student hostel, and the expansion of Kuwait-maitree Hall into a 10-story building.

The Dhaka University administration is taking multifaceted steps with utmost sincerity and working tirelessly to resolve the accommodation crisis for female students, as mentioned in the announcement.

Despite the university's budget deficit, about 500 bunk beds have already been installed in various hostels on a priority basis through special allocations, providing accommodation for several female students. For the first time in the university's history, accommodation has been arranged for female students in the first year undergraduate program following a transparent process and system, which is considered an extraordinary achievement compared to previous times.

Furthermore, it is mentioned that solving such a complex, long-standing issue as an accommodation crisis overnight is not possible. However, the university administration hopes that with the collaboration of the UGC, the relevant government ministries, friendly countries, development partners, and students, the accommodation crisis can be resolved within a reasonable time.

Additionally, the introduction of accommodation scholarships for students under the World Bank's HEAT Project (Higher Education Acceleration and Transformation Project) is also in progress. It is expected that students enrolling in the undergraduate program in the upcoming academic year will be eligible for this scholarship.