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     Volume 4 Issue 34 | February 18, 2005 |


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On Campus

 

A new Style of Toll Collection

My boyfriend and I went to Jahangirnagar University recently. It was our first time there and the campus was stunning. The vacation had started and it was practically empty. We were holding hands by the lake when a group of five or six boys came up to us and asked for our ID. They began to misbehave with us, telling us that the campus was closed. When my boyfriend started to ask them what the problem was, one of them, who seemed like their leader, became even more aggressive. They pretended to call up their proctor, telling him we were caught on campus in a compromising position. Seeing that we weren't intimidated, they told us that the proctor liked them very much, and if he came and found us here he would call the police hold a press conference and suspend us. They didn't scare us but what did was that I was the only girl among them all. They talked among themselves for a bit before taking my boyfriend aside, demanding everything he had on him and, next, on me. I was lucky they didn't see the gold chain I had on. After taking everything we had, they asked us to leave. I was very surprised. Is this a new way of toll collection on campus? Those boys claimed to be students of JU. If these are our students, what will be the future of our country?

S.T. Dhaka University


Dhaka University achievements and expectations

Everyone wants to get into a university with a good educational atmosphere which will help them to acquire not only a higher education but also values and skills that will make them honest, patriotic, well-rounded people. Also necessary is a nice campus with adequate resources and facilities which will aid them in practical life. Today, it seems difficult to find such an institution.

I am a proud student of Dhaka University with a green campus and which provides me with numerous facilities and opportunities which enable students to develop themselves towards a successful career. When I first joined, I was astonished at the history of the institution and its contribution to the war of 1971. Many students, teachers and university staff gave their lives to the cause of an independent Bangladesh. Madhur Canteen, Aparajeyo Bangla, Raju Santrash Birodhi sculptures are all symbols their sacrifice. I become speechless at the sight of these historical monuments.

The university of course has its share of problems. Students have to face a precarious situation when getting seats at the dormitories and often need the backing of political parties. They often suffer from diseases like diarrhoea, typhoid, jaundice, etc., due to the low quality of food and lack of clean drinking water. New dormitories should be built with modern facilities to offset the seat problem. Seats should be allotted on the basis of merit and not political backing.

There is also a severe classroom problem and classes of different departments from first year to Masters have to fight over rooms that are supposed to be allotted to a single department. Every department has a seminar room but no computers. The number of classrooms should be increased and computers with internet connection provided.

Non-residential students have problems with the irregular and often risky bus. Most of the buses are very old and unfit and many get into accidents. A greater number of as well as newer buses are needed.

While students of the Oxford of the East are deprived of modern library facilities, the entire library is air-conditioned. But even this does not always work. Pages are missing in books and, more than a place of study, it has become a dating centre. Some students use it for commercial purposes, tutoring other students there. The authorities simply keep mum.

Finally, students are suffering from an acute session jam due to destructive student politics and many careers and futures are destroyed. Disregarding the need and good of students, student parties call indefinite strikes, causing uncertainty and frustration in the lives of genuine students. The DU syndicate should pass a law banning strikes. We appeal to the student parties to free the campus of politics and work for real students' issues and rights. People have high expectations from us DU students but have we really lived up to them?

Motasim Billah Department of International Relations University of Dhaka


Thoughts on Our Education System

Why do we have to follow a British examination system? Why doesn't our government provide board Ordinary and Advanced Level exams? The system generates tremendous revenue profit for a foreign country, causing valuable loss of revenue for our nation. The only profit gained from it is an international certificate. The methods and infrastructure are our own so why can't we have our own certificate? The fee escalation every six months is also a problem for needy students. Why hamper a student's career for lack of funds? I would like to ask our politicians -- who are busy with their petty squabbles -- for a certificate from my own country which will be accepted all over the world, rather than depending on another countries' education board systems.

Masha Haq

 

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