Controversial coffee shop at DU still has strong blessing
Photo: STAR
The Dhaka University (DU) authorities remain firm on protecting the controversial renter of a coffee shop located behind Mokarram Hossain Bhaban on the Science Annex premises where it is planning to construct a 10-storey mathematics building.
Although the sponsoring foundation of the proposed mathematics building has offered to build a modern cafeteria inside the building, the DU authorities want to make sure that the coffee shop is not removed from the site.
The authorities have recently proposed for a change in the building's location close to the coffee shop, but asked the sponsor to build a makeshift shed to the west side of the site to let the coffee shop operate by the sidewalk and facing Shaheed Minar.
According to the DU Estate Department, the university authorities have built the shop and rented it out at a monthly rent of Tk 3,182 on a five-year lease deal.
Without any bidding the lease deal was made with an activist of BNP's student front Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD), said sources.
Asked about the lease deal, Prof Syed Abul Kalam Azad, DU treasurer, said, “I do not know how the shop was rented out or whether it was done under any pressure as I was not in my present position at that time.”
Prof AFM Yusuf Haidar, pro vice-chancellor of DU, said they are shifting the coffee shop to the west for the time being. “Later, on completion of the new building, we will accommodate it on the ground floor,” he said.
About the allegation that the shop was rented out to an activist of JCD through favouritism, he said, “I do not know exactly in what procedure the shop was rented out.”
Once the coffee shop is relocated to the new place, its customers will have to occupy the footpath in front of the Central Shaheed Minar.
Earlier, the DU authorities verbally committed to the sponsor of the proposed mathematics building to remove both the coffee shop and a drug store.
The sponsor of the building is irritated by DU's rigidity to retain the coffee shop at the site. “It is just not understandable why the DU is hell-bent on protecting a coffee shop even by delaying construction of a vital infrastructure facility of the university,” said a source directly involved in the building project.
Faculty members and students of the Science Faculty alleged that the nuisance around the coffee shop hampers their routine academic activities.
A professor of mathematics said that a number of teachers of Science Faculty verbally complained the matter to the university authorities but to no avail.
Teachers of Geography and Environmental Science Department and Pharmacy, seeking anonymity, said that most of the visitors to the shop are outsiders and the nuisance hampers lab classes during afternoon.
According to sources, the coffee shop owner has turned the adjoining area into an enclosure by placing concrete benches beyond contractual agreement.
Prof Yusuf Haidar said there is no denial that the business of the coffee shop at present site creates nuisance but the universality authorities have imposed a strict instruction on the shop renter to close down the business by evening.
But the renter runs his business until night.
Mubasshar Hussain, president of the Institute of Architects Bangladesh (IAB), said it is ridiculous that the university authorities give so much of emphasis on protecting the renter of the coffee shop. “We need to know who the renter is and why the DU authorities are hell-bent on guarding his interest.”
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