Since then they stay at homes in the daytime and at the shelters at CUCSU building, BNCC Office and Old Medical Centre at night.

To rehabilitate them and avert further casualty, the CU authorities last week decided to shift the families to safer places on plain lands on the campus.

The CU decision, however, pushes the families into a fresh concern as they are unable to build homes on their own.

While visiting the foothills during the heavy downpour on Saturday, this correspondent found that many of the families were staying in their houses risking lives while the homeless are at the shelters.

A total of 12 people were killed in landslides on the campus in 1974, 2000 and this year.

More than 1,500 people of 662 families live in 17 colonies at different points on the campus, sources at CU Estate Department said.

Of them, around 120 families live at Medical Block Colony near CU Central Field while 70 families at Tangail Colony near Shaheed Abdur Rab Hall, 10 families at Islamia Colony near Shaheed Minar and 117 families at Shahi Colony near Alaol Hall.

The residents of Medical Block Colony, Islamia Colony, Barisal Colony, Colony near Science Faculty, Botanical Garden and Jharna areas are the most vulnerable to natural distasters, sources said.

Five members of Saidur Rashid, an inkman of CU printing press, met with tragic end on June 11 when a large chunk of earth fell on his house at Islamia Colony from a nearby hill at around 8:15am.

Saidur lost his wife Senowara Begum, 40, daughter Jannatul Nesa, 20, (a sophomore of English Department), son Saiful Islam, 18 (an HSC examinee), Mizanul Islam, 12, and Minhazul Islam, 7.

Only Saidur and his another son Manirul Islam, 7, could escape unhurt of the seven-member family.

Five people were killed in a landslide at Islamia Colony and Medical Block on June 24 in 2000 and two at Medical Block in 1974, said the sources.

Monwara Begum, who has been living in the Islamia Colony for long and lost her two minor children in a landslide in 2000, said she shifted her home from the foothill after the incident.

She said, "Now we stay at home in the daytime and at the shelter at night whenever we sense any fresh downpour." "We have no other option but to adopt the strategy out of fear," she added.

Monwara said "If the authorities force us to leave the land or say to build houses on our own, we don't know whether or not we will be able to do that."

Mohammed Shafi, who narrowly escaped on June 11 and now staying at Old Medical Centre, said he has lost all his belongings in the landslide.

"I don't know how would I overcome the crisis and build another home," Shafi said.

The CU syndicate at an emergency meeting on Wednesday decided to shift over 500 members of 110 families to plain lands following the death of five members of a family by July.

They will be shifted on a three-acre of plain land at north side of CU central field near Pagoda and WUS (World University Service) Primary School.

Vice Chancellor Prof Dr M Badiul Alam said the decision was taken on humanitarian consideration.

"Engineering Department will formulate a master plan for the proposed rehabilitation programme as early as possible and after finalising it the families will be shifted to the designated places," he said.