Admirable but underappreciated

If one visits the examination halls of Jahangirnagar University (JU), they will find some energetic youngsters in uniforms in front of the entrances, managing the flow of admission seekers relentlessly from dawn to dusk. Some may be checking admit cards while others directing examinees and managing the gathering of guardians.

The uniformed individuals are JU students who are members of Bangladesh National Cadet Corps (BNCC) and Rover Scout. Early in the morning, they announce the admission timings and request examinees to stand in line, continuing their duties till 5:40pm every day.

Around 100 members of BNCC and Rover Scout are working to serve four-five lakh people, including guardians and admission seekers. The JU admission tests started from Sunday and will continue till October 1 where 3,59,962 high school graduates will be vying for 1,889 seats under six faculties and three institutes of the university.

“After checking applicants’ documents, we allow them into the exam halls. We get little time between shifts to manage the huge number of admission seekers going in and out,” said Junaid Hasan, cadet-in-charge of JU BNCC. 

“Since Sunday, we have 50 cadets, including 20 women cadets, who are working to maintain the huge crowds throughout the day. Normally our reporting time is 7am and we continue till the last shift,” he added.

Talking to The Daily Star, several cadets and rover mates shared their experiences. They mainly volunteer to serve the university and admission seekers, and they hardly get enough time to rest during the exam season.

Rokhsana Akhter, co-cadet-in-charge of BNCC, said, “Sometimes we face ‘awkward’ situations as some university staffers and students, who are unauthorised to enter the exam halls, ignore our instructions. They sometimes try to forcibly enter, and if we bar them, they start to argue.”

Khalilur Rahman, senior rover mate of JU Rover Scout, alleged that some of their teammates were assaulted on Sunday in front of New Arts Building during the exam. They submitted a written complaint to the university proctor seeking justice.

Contacted, JU Proctor (acting) ASM Firoz-Ul-Hasan said, “We got a written complaint regarding the incident. A disciplinary board will be called soon to investigate.”

When asked about remuneration, Rokhsana and Khalil said they are hardly valued by university authorities. They normally get Tk 300 for working the whole day. Volunteers in other public universities, however, get Tk 500, and they have to work for only an hour.

It should be raised to at least Tk 1,000 per day, they added.

“Since the last couple of years, we have urged authorities to increase this amount, but they did not pay heed to our demands,” said Junaid.

Acknowledging contribution of volunteers, Firoz-Ul-Hasan said, “When I was the teacher-in-charge of BNCC, I requested university authorities to increase their remuneration from Tk 200 to Tk 300. I will again request for an increase this year.”

JU Assistant Professor Md Kamruzzaman, also teacher-in-charge of JU Rover Scout, said, “Their [cadets’ and rover mates’] assistance and cordiality impressed us. It’s impossible to continue the admission tests if they don’t help us.”

Echoing the same, JU Assistant Professor Taslin Jahan Mou, also teacher-in-charge of JU BNCC, said, “The value of their work cannot be measured. The university authorities try their best to take care of them. Every day, we take them for an outing after tests, and they also get free lunch. We repeatedly asked university authorities to increase their remuneration.”

When asked about the reception from examinees and guardians, Rokhsana said volunteers feel appreciated when guardians compliment them for helping their children. Admission seekers also eagerly take pictures with the volunteers, and that makes it all worth it.