CU CORRESPONDENT
Representatives of the Alaol Hall Student Council at Chittagong University (CU) locked the offices of the Hall Provost and the administrative staff this morning, alleging systemic non-cooperation from the hall administration.
The protest began around 11:00 AM under the leadership of the hall council’s General Secretary (GS) Md. Nurnabi Hasan, disrupting administrative activities for three hours. The locks were eventually removed after the newly appointed Provost assured the student leaders of an immediate formal meeting to address their grievances.
The student council representatives expressed frustration over their inability to work effectively for resident students due to an alleged lack of coordination from the administration. The council has put forward an 8-point demand list, which includes purchasing necessary dining hall furniture, urgently reopening the hall canteen, arranging special meals for residents staying over the Eid holidays, setting up a medicine corner, adding new books to the reading room, activating CCTV cameras, installing water filters, and repairing damaged student rooms.
Alaol Hall Council General Secretary Md. Nurnobi Hasan stated that despite welcoming the new provost and offering full cooperation, the administrator repeatedly avoided sitting down with the council to discuss pressing student issues.
“Unfortunately, he is not showing any interest in sitting down with the hall council,” Hasan stated. “There are various minor and major issues in our hall that we wanted to discuss with him repeatedly, but he avoided us under different pretexts. Our demands are not massive; we have just been asking to solve long-standing, minor issues.”
Other council members echoed these infrastructural and communication grievances. Communication and Housing Secretary Main Hanjala highlighted that “rainwater directly leaks into student rooms during downpours, and both student rooms and the canteen desperately need furniture.” Meanwhile, Health Secretary Asif Iftekhar criticized the provost’s tendency to bypass the local representatives.
“We wanted to speak with the Provost about establishing a medical corner, but he told us he had already discussed it with the central student union (CUCSU) VP,” Iftekhar noted. “The local hall council knows the specific needs of our residents. How can the central union solve these local hall issues?”
In response, Alaol Hall Provost Professor Jamalul Akbar Chowdhury denied the allegations of non-cooperation, stating that he has consistently met with hall council members since taking charge on May 6. He maintained that he has been working diligently to rectify management issues inherited from the previous administration, even working late into the evening during his brief tenure to resolve ongoing crises.
Addressing the council’s grievances, the Provost dismissed rumors of mistreating hall contractors.
“A contractor came to meet me without any prior preparation,” Professor Chowdhury clarified. “I did not misbehave with him; I only directed him to execute the work properly and ensure safety. I am actively trying to work for the overall development of this hall.”
The Provost confirmed that he has already held multiple meetings with the student body and scheduled a fresh round of dialogue later this afternoon to resolve the standoff constructively.