For Dhaka University students, a long-awaited dream has come true as they finally get proper allocation of seats in the university halls of residence. The allocation marks a major shift from years of seat control by political wings, particularly the ruling party’s student body, which dominated hall management for years.
Students expressed their relief and joy as they moved into their allocated seats, sharing their excitement on social media. For many, this is a welcome end to the dreaded "Gono Room" culture, where incoming students were crowded into rooms controlled by the ruling political party's student wing.
This transformation follows a student-led mass uprising in July, which led to the ousting of the Awami League government. Shortly after, the interim administration took over, and the DU hall authorities announced an end to the “Gono rooms.”
They issued notices instructing non-regular students, political activists, and outsiders who overstayed their studentship to vacate the halls. In phases, regular students began getting proper allocation of seats, an initiative seen as a long-overdue reform.
Several students expressed their satisfaction with the hall administration’s efforts in reclaiming rooms previously occupied by post-graduation students and non-students. “This is the first time in years that the university has gained full control over seat management at the halls,” one student shared.
Prior to the government change, regular students had little choice but to endure political exploitation to stay in the halls.
The Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) leaders wielded full control over seat distribution across all 12 male halls of residence, forcing students to attend political events or face eviction from their rooms. First-year students, in particular, often faced exploitation, forced to live in overcrowded ‘Gono Rooms’ and comply with political directives.
An artificial seat shortage was maintained in the halls to preserve political control, with nearly half the rooms occupied by expired students, BCL leaders, and outsiders. However, after the Awami League’s departure, many of these occupants vacated, allowing for legal allocations to regular students.
At Hazi Mohammad Mohsin Hall, Dr Aynul Islam, the seat allocation committee convener, said that seats had been distributed in two phases, including to 150 students from the 2023-24 academic year.
"For the first time, even first-year students have been given seats," he remarked, adding that several seats still remain vacant.
Similar changes were seen in other male residential halls, where students from first-year to master's level were finally granted their seat allocations. “The July-August uprising has brought about the most significant change at the university, as the artificial seat crisis has been resolved,” said Riaz Ullah, a first-year student of Bijoy Ekattor Hall.
Despite these positive changes, the seat crisis persists in the university’s five female halls of residence, where demand far exceeds the available capacity. “I applied for a seat in August 2023 but haven’t received one yet,” said Surmi Chakma, a second-year political science student at Shamsun Nahar Hall.
DU Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Niaz Ahmed Khan acknowledged the seat shortages in female halls, citing the increasing number of female students—who now make up 53% of the student body—as a key challenge. “While it’s a positive sign that more female students are enrolling, we only have five female dorms to accommodate them,” he said, noting that plans for new halls are in the works despite financial and logistical difficulties.
Along with seat allocations, students are also benefiting from improved facilities, with house tutors making regular visits and staff becoming more active in providing services such as security, laundry, and health assistance.
This newfound attention to hall management marks a significant change, leaving many hopeful for a more student-friendly future at Dhaka University.
Source: BSS