A student residing at AF Rahman Hall in Dhaka University has raised concerns about the provost’s request for current room occupants to vacate their rooms to make space for newly-elected hall union leaders. Mahmud Ridwan, a resident of the hall, shared details of the incident on social media.
According to Ridwan, the hall administration decided to designate Room 318 for the vice president and general secretary of the AF Rahman Hall Union. The Provost informed the residents about this decision during a meeting, stating that it was a customary practice.
In an interview with The Daily Star, Ridwan mentioned that the provost insisted on the room allocation for union leaders, referring to the current occupants as “illegal residents” when they questioned the basis for such a decision.
Ridwan later discovered no historical evidence supporting the tradition of hall union leaders occupying the said room.
Vice President Rafiqul Islam and General Secretary Habibullah Habib of the Hall Union confirmed that they had requested the room relocation based on information from alumni suggesting that the room traditionally belonged to hall leaders. They explained that their current room accommodates eight other students, leading to inconveniences due to frequent visitors, and clarified that they do not reside in the union room constantly.
Provost Prof Kazi Mahfuzul Haque Supon clarified the situation, stating that he had discussed the matter with the residents to ascertain the number of occupants in the room. He mentioned his surprise upon learning that six people resided in a room intended for three occupants, questioning the legality of their stay. However, he explained that there was a misunderstanding regarding the room’s partition and did not pursue the issue further when the residents declined to vacate the room.