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
Copyright (R)
thedailystar.net 2004
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