Residential students at 16 halls, 11 for males and 5 for females, of Rajshahi University are being served ‘unhygienic and substandard’ foods in the dining halls.
Many students have alleged that stale foods are served while dust and insects are often found in the foods. A number of residential students said that despite repeated complaints, the authorities concerned did not take any measure to address the problem.
Meanwhile, Friday night, students of Shaheed Habibur Rahman hall went on the rampage, protesting at the ‘substandard foods’ being served in the dining halls.
The hall sources said the students at around 9:00pm vandalised the dining halls and started a fire in front of the hall gate.
On information, RU proctor and hall provost, along with law enforcers, rushed to the spot and brought the situation under control.
The agitating students alleged, recently the hall authorities increased the meal charge from Tk 16 to Tk 20 for night and from Tk 20 to Tk 25 for shahri in the name of serving quality foods for the month of Ramadan but still low quality foods were being served.
Bulbul Ahmed, a resident student of Sher-e-Bangla Hall, alleged that remains of a rat were found in the curry on December 7, 2010 at the dining halls.
Following the incident, Motihar police arrested two employees of the dormitory, said another resident student, he also said.
Protesting the food situation, the resident students of 11 male dormitories in 2010 also boycotted the dining halls for a week.
Following the boycott, the authorities increased the meal charge by Tk 5 in the name of serving quality food, but no major change took place in this regard as yet, the alleged students.
Refuting the allegations, Jamal Uddin, dining hall manager of Shaheed Habibur Rahman Hall, said they always tried to serve quality foods.
‘We cannot serve the quality foods always as the meal price was not enough,’ he also said.
Dr Mirza Wajed Hossain Baig, chief of the university medical centre, said a number of students, who come to the centre, often suffered from various food borne diseases.
RU proctor Chowdhury Mohammad Zakaria told New Age that they had given directions to the hall provosts immediately to improve the quality of the dining food, he added.
-With New Age input
