Dhaka University Teacher Network Demands Abolition of Curfew and End to Discriminatory Policies Against Female Students
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The University Teacher Network has demanded the immediate abolition of the 10:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. curfew imposed on female students at the University of Dhaka, calling for unrestricted 24-hour mobility and security for all women on campus.
The network issued a formal statement on Sunday expressing solidarity with the ongoing student movement against discriminatory hall entry policies. The faculty body presented a three-point agenda, which includes allowing all female students to enter any hall by presenting a valid identification card, granting permission for overnight stays, and ensuring that female relatives, including mothers and sisters of students, are permitted entry into the halls.
In their statement, the faculty members argued that while the university claims to offer equal opportunities for academic pursuits regardless of gender, female students face systemic discrimination. They noted that 57 percent of female students remain deprived of residential facilities. Furthermore, despite paying regular hall fees, non-residential students are barred from entering their respective halls, even for short breaks or meals.
The network criticized the existing curfew as a colonial-era restriction that serves as a pretext for harassment rather than safety. According to the faculty, female students returning from long-distance travel or those needing to leave the campus for emergencies frequently face administrative intimidation and character assassination at the hall gates.
The teachers challenged the university administration’s rationale, noting that locking halls at night does not equate to genuine security, particularly as the administration fails to provide any protection for students who are forced to remain outside the gates until 6:00 a.m.
The statement highlighted a stark disparity compared to neighboring institutions, such as Dhaka Medical College, the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology, and the Dhaka Nursing College, which do not enforce such restrictive policies. The network also pointed out that students at Jahangirnagar University and the University of Chittagong are permitted to host female relatives and friends in their rooms, a right currently denied to students at Dhaka University. The faculty concluded that the administration’s reliance on limiting the mobility of women instead of strengthening campus security is a clear sign of administrative failure.
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