A college of shortage

Cox's Bazar Govt College. Photo: Star

Cox's Bazar Government College, the premier educational institution in this southeastern district, is plagued with problems.
For 7,000 students, the college, offering both graduate and post-graduate courses, has only 30 classrooms and 20 rooms for staff.
However, the most immediate problem is a teacher shortage. Currently the only educator with the rank of professor is the principal and 64 teaching positions are vacant.
Meanwhile the library of 10,700 books has no librarian.
Talking to The Daily Star, Principal Fazlul Karim Chowdhury said, “It is no surprise there are problems. Adding new courses does not help without teachers to deliver those courses.”
Besides, there is a lack of transport facilities. Although the U.N. refugee agency (UNHCR) donated a 40-seater bus to the college in 1991 it is now too dilapidated to run smoothly. A second bus has been inoperative for many years.

Cox's Bazar Govt College's dormitory which the authorities closed about a year ago, alleging that the pro-Jamaat student organisation Islami Chhatra Shibir used this hostel to carry out their criminal activities. The photos were taken yesterday. Photo: Star

As a result, teachers and students use public transport, where the females often face untoward situations.
Accommodation is also inadequate. College authorities have built two hostels for 100 male and 200 female students respectively. But a tin-shed boys' dormitory was closed after Islami Chhatra Shibir occupied the building, allegedly carrying out “terrorist” activities from there.
Teachers do not have on-campus living quarters and Principal Chowdhury had to abandon his one-storey quarter which is too dilapidated. He now resides in an administrative building room.
Post-graduate student Abdul Majid said, “The highest seat of education in Cox's Bazar has too many problems. It should be brought under a special scheme to fix the problems and offer quality education.”
Started as a private college in 1962 with six teachers and 60 students it was enrolled as a government college in 1967.