DU set for major overhaul with Tk 2,840cr project

Dhaka University is set to get new student dormitories and academic buildings after the interim government approved a project aimed at the holistic development of the university's infrastructure.

The Tk 2,840.39 crore project was approved yesterday at a meeting of the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec), held at the Planning Commission.

Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus chaired the meeting, according to a press release.

As part of a three-phase masterplan project, the first phase will see the construction of six academic buildings and nine residential halls. Of these, four halls will accommodate 2,600 female students while the remaining five will house 5,100 male students.

The project also includes the development of a playing field and the construction of five additional buildings, including a new administrative facility. 

Several existing structures will be demolished to make way for the new facilities.

"A new administration took the initiative to create a comprehensive master plan for Dhaka University to resolve long-standing issues, including student and teacher accommodation, academic infrastructure, and recreational facilities," said Wahiduddin Mahmud, planning advisor to the government.

"We reassessed the student gender ratio and decided to prioritise residential facilities for female students, who are more vulnerable and disproportionately affected by the lack of housing."

"We also mandated that additional space be found outside the main campus, if necessary," he added.

Regarding infrastructure, he said, "There's no extra space within the 350 acres of university land. To avoid congestion and environmental harm, we'll demolish or replace low-rise buildings from the 1950s and '60s with multi-storey structures built on the same footprint."

Prioritising the construction of residential halls, which covers 34.36 percent of the total cost, the project also includes the construction of the Ducsu building, administrative building, central mosque, medical centre, and gymnasium, accounting for 16 percent of the cost.

A 15-storey female dormitory will be built to house 1,000 students by demolishing the existing Shahnewaz Hostel, currently occupied by male students from the Fine Arts faculty.

At Sufia Kamal Hall, two new buildings -- one 10-storey and one 6-storey -- will replace the current house tutor quarters and garage to accommodate 600 female students.

To house an additional 500 students, a 10-storey building will be constructed at Bangladesh-Kuwait Maitree Hall, replacing the provost's bungalow and the three-storey Shikder Manowara Building.

Two more buildings -- 11 and 8 storeys -- will be built inside the Institute of Leather Engineering and Technology, replacing existing staff quarters, to accommodate another 600 female students.

For male students, the project includes dormitories to house 5,100 students with necessary facilities.

As part of the expansion of Shaheed Sergeant Zohurul Haque Hall, two new buildings -- 12 and 8 storeys -- will be constructed, replacing tin-shed extensions, to house 1,300 students.

The northern section of Surja Sen Hall will be demolished to make way for an 11-storey building accommodating 1,100 students.

At Shahidullah Hall, the Shaheed Ataur Rahman Khan Khadim Building and cafeteria will be replaced by two new blocks of 15 and 6 storeys to accommodate 1,200 students.

Haji Muhammad Mohsin Hall's existing tin-shed and one-storey structures will be replaced with two new buildings of 12 and 6 storeys to house 1,000 students.

At Dr Kudrat-E-Khuda Hall, three new buildings of 10, 8, and 5 storeys will be built by demolishing the hall's existing bungalow.

As part of the renovation masterplan, the Nilkhet Police Outpost and the existing Press Building will be demolished to construct a new Press Cum Academic Building, comprising 11- and 5-storey structures.

An expansion project of the Dhaka University Central Library is underway, including the construction of two new blocks -- 12 and 6 storeys -- by demolishing the northwestern section of the current library.

The university's one-storey central mosque, Mashzidul Jamia, will also be demolished and replaced by a four-storey complex.

Additionally, a six-storey building will be constructed for the medical centre, along with new residential facilities in the Shibbari area for fourth-class university staff.

Titled "Further Development of Dhaka University," the five-year initiative under the education ministry marks the first phase of a 15-year, three-phase masterplan.