Entrance of Chittagong Government Women College. Eight to nine students live in a room, below, of four students at a hostel due to accommodation crisis. PHOTO: ANURUP KANTI DAS

Lack of teachers, classrooms, dormitories and infrastructure has been affecting the study of over 6,000 female students of Chittagong Government Women's College.
The college, the only government educational institution for the girl students in greater Chittagong, started its journey in 1957 as an intermediate college. The degree course was introduced in the college in 1971 and honours and masters courses were in 1986 and 1993.
The college now provides honours course in eight subjects and masters in four subjects in separate disciplines.
The college is situated in a panoramic beauty of 20 acres of hilly land donated by the Nasirabad Housing Society in the Khulsi area under Khulsi Police Station in the city.
The college has 63 teachers against the sanctioned posts of 76 which should be at least 158 as per National University rule.
Prof Abdul Monaim, principal of the college, told The Daily Star that posts for three assistant professors in Bangla department, a professor and an assistant professor in economics department, two lecturers in islamic history and culture department, one lecturer in political science department, a lecturer in oriental language department, an associate professor, an assistant professor and a lecturer in social welfare department, a lecturer in psychology department, an assistant professor in management department are now lying vacant.
There are only 26 classrooms and only two hostels for the students in the college. Nowadays, nine students are staying in a room for four.
Principal Monaim said posts of demonstrator, computer teacher and librarian are also lying vacant in the institution.
The college gives salaries of security guards, cooks, staff and the guest teachers from its funds collected from the students as fees, Prof Monaim said.
He said the college authorities proposed to the education ministry to create posts of 41 teachers to maintain standard of education in the institute.
The caretaker government approved a project worth Tk 10 crore to construct a dormitory for the students and renovation works for the college, which is yet to see the light, he added.
The Shaheed Minar in the college is also in dilapidated condition.
The students have been facing acute accommodation crisis as there are only two hostels for them in the college.
Around 250 students are staying in the new hostel of 100 seats while around 280 in the old dormitory of 114 seats.
The students said a new hostel is necessary as nine students huddle in a room for four. Two students share one seat while the third one is compelled to set up bedding on the floor.
“We cannot concentrate on our studies as the rooms are crowded and nine students are staying against four seats," said Morjina Akhtar, a third year student of Bangla department.
“The students from many upazilas and remote areas of greater Chittagong study in the college and are compelled to stay in a crowded room in the hostel," she said, adding that construction of a new hostel is a must to solve their residential problem.
Echoing the same, Pritisha Dey told The Daily Star that the students hailing from the remote areas are the worst victims of the crisis.
Admitting the problems, Principal Monaim said it is very difficult for nine students to study in a small room.
He sought the government's support to construct a new hostel for lessening the accommodation crisis.