The Jahangirnagar University authorities yesterday relaxed their recently rejuvenated strict enforcement of age old restrictions for female resident students in the face of vehement protest from the residents.

The students on Wednesday night brought out a protest procession on the campus centering on a recent alleged incident in which Assistant Proctor Nigar Sultana did not let Shahinur Akhter Priti, a resident student of Sheikh Hasina Hall, enter the dorm, and also seized her identity card as she returned from a workshop after 10:00pm.

However, Proctor Tapan Kumar Shaha denied the allegation.

The students of the hall also claimed that seat allocations of around 40 students were cancelled after December 7 as their hall attendances were below 75 percent.

However, the hall provost, Farid Hossain, said some seven seat allocations were cancelled as the attendances were nil and the others with poor attendance were served with show cause notices. The female students also demanded that teachers and staff go to their rooms to take attendance, just like what happens in male dormitories, instead of calling the females to their rooms for the purpose.

Students claimed that out of the six female halls the situation is more acute in Jahanara Imam and Sheikh Hasina halls.

Relaxing the rules, a teacher-student meeting, in the evening, decided that female students can enter halls after 10:00pm by writing reasons for being late.

They will also have access to different female halls after 10:00pm but with the permission of their respective hall authorities.

Decision about the attendance procedure will be taken after discussions with all house tutors and female students.

Students whose seats were cancelled have been asked to apply again mentioning valid reasons for poor attendance.