Although a new dormitory for male students has been constructed, it did not lessen the sufferings of general students as seat availability in halls has remained at a premium due to session jams. Political confrontations repeated protest movements by teachers and students and class strikes over the last few years have delayed examinations and there is more than 18 months of session backlog at present.

JU sources said that the failure of the university authorities in distributing seats, unplanned admission of students and alleged seat occupation by Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal leaders for distribution on the basis of political identity have intensified the accommodation crisis. As a result, only 20 percent of the freshers have found seats while the majority of newcomers languish in uncertainty at the residential university.

The problem has become acute with the over-staying of the 28th batch. Students of that batch were supposed to leave the dormitories on completion of their examinations. The vacant seats were to be filled up by first year students. But it will take another seven to eight months atleast for the 28th batch to appear in their masters' final examination.

About 92 first year honours students have been allotted rooms in Al-Beruni Hall. But only 30 of them have managed to get accommodation but that too in the hall's common room.

Some 548 students got allotments in Kamal Uddin, Moulana Bhasani, Meer Musharraf Hossain and Shaheed Salam Barkat halls. They are also staying at offices of the student council, guest rooms and common rooms of their respective dorms. The freshers are also facing problems with food, toilets and other basic amenities.

In the rooms designed to accommodate two or four students, six to 12 can be found living nowadays.

174 students received allotment at the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Hall, the newly constructed male dormitory. But they are unable to move in as some influential student leaders have reportedly occupied the seats and have forced a large number of students out of the hall already.

About 150 new female students of Pritilota Hall are staying at the common room and prayer room of the hall. 29 students who were allotted seats in Fazilatun-nesa Hall meanwhile face an uncertain future as the JU authorities placed them there ignoring the request of the teachers responsible for the dormitory. Apparently, the hall is in no position to accommodate any more students.

Last year, Fazilatun-nesa Hall's authorities said they will not be able to entertain any additional student over the next five years.

The common room and TV room of Nawab Faizunnesa hall is housing about 40 students.

"The students are allotted seats against available beds in the dormitories but at present most of them have no vacancies," said a hall official preferring anonymity.

The students who hail from distant areas of the country are being given priority in distribution of seats while those who have relatives or family members in and around the capital have been asked to stay with them for the time being. The university authorities have arranged extra busses so that they can travel to and from the campus with ease.

Established in 1971, the Jahangirnagar University now has a total of 7378 students including 2376 female students although its accommodation capacity is for 4984 students.