The rules of Dhaka University stipulate that a student remains a regular one for eight years -- six years for graduation and two for post-graduation degrees.

They also state that no irregular student is allowed in the residential halls.

As the university authorities are following the rules strictly after the August 5 political changeover, student groups, especially BNP student front Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD), have been under pressure to remove irregular students from their committees.

Numerous irregular students, mostly members of ruling party organisations, had occupied the halls for several years in the past. Members and supporters of the Awami League's student wing Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) had enjoyed this undue privilege until their ouster.

BCL has now been banned as it was involved in deadly attacks on student protesters during the July-August mass uprising. The reasons behind its banning included the notorious "Gono Rooms" and "Guest Rooms", once used by student leaders to exploit juniors. Such practices were abolished after the changeover.

On the other hand, JCD has long been known for keeping aged people and irregular students in its committees for years -- an issue that made headlines on numerous occasions.

Since the political gamut of Bangladesh is undergoing reforms to ensure that rules are followed properly without any discrimination, the student groups also feel the need for change.

Those interviewed for this report said their organisations are also seeking to replace the aged leaders with young ones in keeping with the rules, and the positive vibe brought in by the student-led mass uprising.           

Mahbub Alam Shahin, a 2012-13 session student of DU, was made JCD's Shahidullah Hall unit president in 2020. He could not stay there because BCL did not allow him to enter it. He still cannot stay there as he is no longer a regular student.

The 25 other presidents and general secretaries of 13 JCD hall units are also not allowed in their halls as Shahin is the youngest among them, while all the rooms are occupied by regular students.

"It's high time we brought changes in line with the general students' expectations. The high command should form committees with regular students," said Saidul Islam, general secretary of JCD's Haji Muhammad Mohsin Hall unit.

Like Shahin, Saidul cannot go to the hall to engage in political activities.

Not just the hall unit leaders, JCD DU unit President Ganesh Chandra Roy Shahosh and General Secretary Nahiduzzaman Shipon are also irregular students from the 2010-11 and 2011-12 sessions respectively. They were named leaders of a seven-member committee on March 1 this year.

"We're mulling the formation of hall committees with regular residential students. We expect we can do it soon," said Shipon.

JCD General Secretary Nasir Uddin told The Daily Star that they got a "strong and clear message" from BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman to establish the hall committees with regular students.

"We've already founded a 38-member team to constitute committees in all the units, including universities. The activists engaging in student-friendly politics on their campuses will be chosen as leaders."

Meanwhile, after around three and a half decades, Jamaat-e-Islami's student front Islami Chhatra Shibir has revealed it had a committee at DU.

The committee's President Abu Shadik Kayem is a 2016-17 session student and Secretary SM Farhad is from 2017-18.

Talking to The Daily Star, Shadik said eight out of the 14 members of their DU unit committee were regular students.

He said they will announce their hall committees with undergraduate students soon because they "respect the common students' expectations".

Some leftist student organisations have faculty-based committees, but most of them do not have hall committees. A faction of the Chhatra Union has a committee at the Jagannath Hall only.

"Chhatra League leaders and activists in the last 16 years occupied the halls and forced the students to engage in BCL politics only. That's why we could not form committees at the halls," Maeen Ahmed, general secretary of DU Chhatra Union, told The Daily Star.

"As there's a congenial atmosphere at the halls now, we'll try to form committees there with regular students."

Maeen is a student of the 2017-18 session while the president of his committee, Meghmallar Bosu, is from the 2015-2016 session.

Another section of the Chhatra Union also has a committee at DU. However, its Convener Kazi Rakib resigned from his post for personal reasons. Its joint conveners, Mamun Rana and Sala Uddin Amman, are from the 2017-2018 session.

Salman Siddiqui, president of Samajtantrik Chhatra Front (Marxist), hailed the allocation of seats among regular students in the halls by the authorities. "We have to remain alert so that an undemocratic environment is not created."

He said they would form committees with regular students "who will work for the rights of the students".

Armanul Hoque, convener of DU Chhatra Federation, said all the leaders of their 13-member committee are regular students. "We'll follow this trend while forming committees."