Homemaker answers DU emergency calls!

Imagine if you are a student of Dhaka University. It is the night before your application deadline, and you are confused about how to complete the online examination form. You call the designated helpline numbers from the DU website and to your surprise a housemaker living in Sunamganj, who has no idea what you are talking about, greets you.

This might sound too absurd to be true, but some students have actually gone through the experience recently.

In 2019, DU introduced some digital services for the convenience of students.

In one such attempt, the exam controller's office listed three emergency contact numbers on its website for troubleshooting. If any student faces problems with academic issues like collecting admit cards, transcripts, or filling out forms, he or she could dial the numbers to seek online solutions.

However, students allege that, when they call the first listed emergency number, a woman from Shalla of Sunamganj receives, instead of a DU official.

The second number is unresponsive and the third number is not in service.

As none of the numbers work, students said they have to visit offices on the campus to get the jobs done.

One such student, who wants to collect his transcripts for his study abroad, said he called the numbers failing to fill up the form online.

Requesting anonymity, he told this correspondent, "To get university transcripts, you have to apply online. I couldn't do it with the new system, and when I called one of the three listed numbers, a woman answered the phone. The rest of the numbers are non-operational."

Contacted by The Daily Star, the housemaker from Sunamganj said she has no connection with DU, but said she frequently receives calls from students frequently.

She said she bought the SIM card 2 months ago and registered it to her name.

Surprisingly, the woman said she didn't have any bitter memories regarding the calls.

"I am quite used to it now. When someone from DU calls, I inform them that they have dialled "wrong number", and they usually hang up," she added.

This correspondent tried to contact Bahalul Haque Chowdhury, the controller of examinations, DU, several times but failed. He did not respond to any text messages either.

Contacted, DU Vice-Chancellor Prof Md Akhtaruzzaman said, "It is unacceptable. We are looking into the matter and will inform the respective authority."