DU finally abolishes rule against married female students staying in halls

The Dhaka University (DU) authorities Wednesday abolished the law that restricted married female students' stay in residential halls.

The decision came at a meeting of the DU provost standing committee "following protest from the students", DU Proctor Prof Golam Rabbani told The Business Standard.

However, he also noted that the authorities do not suggest that pregnant students stay at dormitories "for their own safety".

The issue surfaced recently after a married female student lost her Shamsunnahar Hall seat when she got married.

The fourth-year student was told that her cousin, a student of the 2019-20 session who was eligible for a seat in the dorm, would not get it until she vacated her seat.

This was widely criticised on social media by various quarters and female students started a movement against this practice at halls for female students.

Earlier, students of five DU halls demanded the removal of these existing restrictions on pregnant and married students staying in university halls.

As many as 14,000 female students study at DU, attached to five dormitories, and 8,000 of them stay in the dorms.

Representatives of female dormitories of Dhaka University want reform of policies on pregnant and married students staying in the residential halls.

On Saturday, student representatives at a press conference held at the Dhaka University Journalists Association club demanded reform of these policies.

To get a seat at any of the five DU halls for women students, one has to sign an undertaking while enrolling, which contains a point, saying: "If any student gets married, she must inform the hall authority immediately. Otherwise, for breaking the rule, her seat will be cancelled. And pregnant students cannot stay in the dorm."