Although the number of students of the university is increasing gradually with the launching of new courses, its accommodation facilities are not increasing accordingly, said resident students while talking to UNB.
Currently, there are 2,775 seats in all the dormitories of the university against its some 14,000 students, they said.
Most of the university students are from different regions of the country and so they have no other option but to stay in residential halls to pursue their study properly, the hall inmates said.
However, many of the students are staying in villages around the university and in the district towns of Kushtia and Jhenaidah for lack of adequate seats in their dormitories and they have to travel a long way to reach the campus, enduring too much of sufferings.
They also have to bear additional expenses for staying in rented houses and travel to and from the university.
The authorities have turned a blind eye to repeated appeals from the students to resolve the accommodation crisis, the students alleged.
The first and second year honours students are the worst sufferers as they cannot avail themselves of the accommodation facilities right after their admission.
Some female students are staying at balconies of their respective halls due to inadequate seats, causing sufferings to others.
University sources said there are eight residential halls, including three for female students, for 14,000 students of the university. These dormitories can provide accommodation facilities to only 2,775 students and no arrangement is available at the university for the remaining students.
According to the hall authorities, 475 students reside in Saddam Hossain Hall while 400 in Lalon Shah Hall, 382 in Jatir Pita Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Hall, 260 in Sheikh Russel Hall, 721 in Begum Khaleda Zia Hall against 398 seats, 700 in Bangamata Sheikh Fazilatunnesa Mujib Hall against 400 seats and 900 live in Deshratna Sheikh Hasina Hall against 540 seats.
Visiting different dormitories, this correspondent found the hall inmates passing their days amid multifarious problems. Some halls are like ‘refugee camps’ as 30-40 students have to stay in ‘Gono Rooms’ (mass rooms) each against 8-10 seats, some students alleged.
They said they are victims of discrimination for lack of proper monitoring by the hall authorities over distribution of seats in dormitories, an inmate said preferring anonymity.
Rawshon Ara Ripa, a resident student of Sheikh Hasina Hall, said she resides in a ‘mass room’. "Every day, I’ve to fight for having a space to sleep in the room. Even worse, the room is so unhygienic that I can hardly sleep there," she added.
Acknowledging the problem, IU hall provost council president Prof Akram Hossain Mozumdar said they will try to resolve the problem after discussions with the university authorities.
Contacted, IU Vice-chancellor Prof M Harun-Ur-Rashid Askari told UNB that the problem will be resolved once the work on the university’s mega project is completed.