Although Bogura Government Azizul Haque College has around 30,000 students enrolled in its degree, honours, and master's programmes, it currently has no hostel for male students.

Following a clash between Chhatra Shibir and Chhatra League in 2009, the authority of the college shut down three dormitories for male students.

As a result, students coming from the northern districts and across the country are facing accommodation crisis.

Instead of opening the halls for students, the college authorities allowed college staff to live there. Currently, several college staff members are residing there with their families.

During a recent visit, it was found that the 40-seat Sher-e-Bangla Hall, which closed down after the clash, lies completely abandoned.

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Photo: Star

The 96-seat Shaheed Titumir Hall and 80-seat Shaheed Aktar Ali Moon Hall have been allocated for the residence of several college employees.

Zahidul Islam, imam of the college mosque, has been living in this hostel for the last three years.

When asked, Zahidul said, "After the hostels were renovated, the principal of the college allowed us to stay here."

Rafiul Islam, member secretary of the college unit Chhatra Dal, said, "On behalf of Chhatra Dal, we submitted applications twice to the principal to reopen the halls. The college administration informed us that the halls would be opened after the Education Engineering Directorate completes the renovations. There has been no update since then."

Abdullah Al Mamun, former president of the college unit Chhatra Shibir, said, "Three principals have been changed since August 5, 2024. We approached them with various demands, including the reopening of the hostels, but no one is opening them out of fear that clashes might occur again if the hostels are reopened."

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Photo: Star

Principal Prof Mahfuzul Islam said, "The hostels are not yet fit to be opened for students."

Regarding the residence of the employees, the principal said, "A lot of furniture was stolen from the hostels previously. For that reason, some employees have been allowed to stay there to guard the hostels. When the hostels are opened for students, they will no longer stay."

When asked if the hostels are kept closed out of fear of potential clashes, the principal said, "We cannot say beforehand that clashes will occur if the hostels open. This kind of allegation is not true."

Contacted, Md Anowar Hossain, executive engineer of Bogura Education Engineering Directorate, said, “An allocation of Tk 1 crore has arrived in two phases for renovating the old hostels. If the principal of the college wants, the hostels will be renovated with this money."

When asked why the halls are not being renovated despite having funds, Principal Mahfuzul Islam said, "I am not aware of the matter that there is an allocation of Tk1 crore for the hostels renovation."

The college currently has only two hostels functional for female students.



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