Ducsu leaders evict outsiders, non-students from SM Hall
In the face of student protests, leaders of Dhaka University Central Students' Union (Ducsu) on Sunday vacated 132 seats at Salimullah Muslim hall of DU which were occupied by outsiders and non-students.
A section of residential students of the hall started demonstrating at 10pm Sunday, demanding that outsiders and non-students leave the hall.
Witnesses said, books and other valuables of the students who live in the hall's balcony were damaged by the rain and storm on Sunday evening.
Agitated after the incident, students gathered at the TV room of the hall and started their demonstration. They also demanded allotment of legal seats.
On information, Ducsu vice president Nurul Haque Nur, general secretary Golam Rabbani, hall provost Prof Mahbubul Alam Joarder, hall union VP and GS went to the spot.
Amid the protest, hall authorities asked outsiders to vacate their seats by night and former students were asked to leave the dormitory within three days.
The vacated seats will be allotted among those living in the veranda on the basis of seniority soon. At least 450 students, mostly freshmen and sophomores, are now living there.
“The major problem of SM hall is residential crisis. Students have to stay in the veranda even during rain and cold weather. Following the first meeting of hall union, we issued a notice asking non-students to leave within 15 days. But now they must vacate the hall at this moment if the students want,” hall provost said addressing the aggrieved students.
He also made commitment to build a separate tin-shed building for the students living in the balcony.
Ducsu VP Nurul Haq Nur said, “Outsiders and non-residents should be identified immediately. Because of the seat crisis, six students can stay in a room instead of four, if necessary. But hall authorities should ensure that no one has to live in the balconies.”
On February 2016, Hafijur Mollah, a first-year student of Marketing department, died of pneumonia contracted during his stay in the hall's veranda, where he was “forced” to sleep.