‘Living in fear in rundown dorm’
Our Correspondent, Barishal
The students of Sher-e-Bangla Medical College in Barishal demonstrated on the campus and surrounded the principal’s office yesterday, demanding a safe dormitory.
They continued the agitation for eight hours from 8:00am, saying that they have to reside in rundown residential halls.
Later, the students suspended their demonstration for seven days after the principal assured them of providing alternative accommodation and a new dormitory building soon.
The assurance came after the SBMC authorities met Barishal City Corporation Mayor Serniabat Sadiq Abdullah.
Earlier, the students staged a sit-in in front of the principal’s office with banners and festoons threatening to stop all academic activities until their demand is not met.
During a visit to the college’s Habibur Rahman Hall, this correspondent found that the plasters were falling off its walls on three floors. The doors and windows were broken, and the entire place was unhygienic.
According to the authorities, with 2,362 students the medical college has six dormitories -- three for males and three for females. Every hostel is in dilapidated condition and Habibur Rahman Hall is most unliveable. The plaster is constantly falling from the ceilings. Students got injured in such incidents on multiple occasions.
Lisa, a student residing in a female dormitory, said, “We have to live with fear in the dilapidated building all the time. We want safe accommodation.”
Arifuzzaman Imon, a fifth-year student residing in Habibur Rahman Hall, said plaster fell from the ceiling in its TV room on Monday night. Thirty students who live in the room narrowly escaped, he added.
“Our only demand is for a new dormitory. Until its construction is completed, we need a safe alternative shelter. Otherwise, the movement will continue indefinitely,” Imon said.
Campus sources said the hall was built in 1968 and its second floor was declared abandoned by the Public Works Department (PWD) due to its dilapidated condition.
Contacted, Principal Dr Md Moniruzzaman Shaheen said it is not possible to solve this problem overnight. Two projects for the construction of two 10-storey buildings are currently awaiting Ecnec approval, he said.
“We already met the mayor for students’ alternative accommodation,” he added.
PWD executive engineer Md Kamrul Ahsan said the second floor of Habibur Rahman Hall was declared abandoned three years ago. “We will declare the entire building abandoned within two days,” he said.They continued the agitation for eight hours from 8:00am, saying that they have to reside in rundown residential halls.
Later, the students suspended their demonstration for seven days after the principal assured them of providing alternative accommodation and a new dormitory building soon.
The assurance came after the SBMC authorities met Barishal City Corporation Mayor Serniabat Sadiq Abdullah.
Earlier, the students staged a sit-in in front of the principal’s office with banners and festoons threatening to stop all academic activities until their demand is not met.
During a visit to the college’s Habibur Rahman Hall, this correspondent found that the plasters were falling off its walls on three floors. The doors and windows were broken, and the entire place was unhygienic.
According to the authorities, with 2,362 students the medical college has six dormitories -- three for males and three for females. Every hostel is in dilapidated condition and Habibur Rahman Hall is most unliveable. The plaster is constantly falling from the ceilings. Students got injured in such incidents on multiple occasions.
Lisa, a student residing in a female dormitory, said, “We have to live with fear in the dilapidated building all the time. We want safe accommodation.”
Arifuzzaman Imon, a fifth-year student residing in Habibur Rahman Hall, said plaster fell from the ceiling in its TV room on Monday night. Thirty students who live in the room narrowly escaped, he added.
“Our only demand is for a new dormitory. Until its construction is completed, we need a safe alternative shelter. Otherwise, the movement will continue indefinitely,” Imon said.
Campus sources said the hall was built in 1968 and its second floor was declared abandoned by the Public Works Department (PWD) due to its dilapidated condition.
Contacted, Principal Dr Md Moniruzzaman Shaheen said it is not possible to solve this problem overnight. Two projects for the construction of two 10-storey buildings are currently awaiting Ecnec approval, he said.
“We already met the mayor for students’ alternative accommodation,” he added.
PWD executive engineer Md Kamrul Ahsan said the second floor of Habibur Rahman Hall was declared abandoned three years ago. “We will declare the entire building abandoned within two days,” he said.
They continued the agitation for eight hours from 8:00am, saying that they have to reside in rundown residential halls.
Later, the students suspended their demonstration for seven days after the principal assured them of providing alternative accommodation and a new dormitory building soon.
The assurance came after the SBMC authorities met Barishal City Corporation Mayor Serniabat Sadiq Abdullah.
Earlier, the students staged a sit-in in front of the principal’s office with banners and festoons threatening to stop all academic activities until their demand is not met.
During a visit to the college’s Habibur Rahman Hall, this correspondent found that the plasters were falling off its walls on three floors. The doors and windows were broken, and the entire place was unhygienic.
According to the authorities, with 2,362 students the medical college has six dormitories -- three for males and three for females. Every hostel is in dilapidated condition and Habibur Rahman Hall is most unliveable. The plaster is constantly falling from the ceilings. Students got injured in such incidents on multiple occasions.
Lisa, a student residing in a female dormitory, said, “We have to live with fear in the dilapidated building all the time. We want safe accommodation.”
Arifuzzaman Imon, a fifth-year student residing in Habibur Rahman Hall, said plaster fell from the ceiling in its TV room on Monday night. Thirty students who live in the room narrowly escaped, he added.
“Our only demand is for a new dormitory. Until its construction is completed, we need a safe alternative shelter. Otherwise, the movement will continue indefinitely,” Imon said.
Campus sources said the hall was built in 1968 and its second floor was declared abandoned by the Public Works Department (PWD) due to its dilapidated condition.
Contacted, Principal Dr Md Moniruzzaman Shaheen said it is not possible to solve this problem overnight. Two projects for the construction of two 10-storey buildings are currently awaiting Ecnec approval, he said.
“We already met the mayor for students’ alternative accommodation,” he added.
PWD executive engineer Md Kamrul Ahsan said the second floor of Habibur Rahman Hall was declared abandoned three years ago. “We will declare the entire building abandoned within two days,” he said.
They continued the agitation for eight hours from 8:00am, saying that they have to reside in rundown residential halls.
Later, the students suspended their demonstration for seven days after the principal assured them of providing alternative accommodation and a new dormitory building soon.
The assurance came after the SBMC authorities met Barishal City Corporation Mayor Serniabat Sadiq Abdullah.
Earlier, the students staged a sit-in in front of the principal’s office with banners and festoons threatening to stop all academic activities until their demand is not met.
During a visit to the college’s Habibur Rahman Hall, this correspondent found that the plasters were falling off its walls on three floors. The doors and windows were broken, and the entire place was unhygienic.