Why the debilitating delay in DU expansion?

We are disappointed to learn that Dhaka University (DU) and 83 other organisations (social infrastructures, several schools, colleges and institutes) are yet to receive the land which the Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (Rajuk) has committed to providing them, through temporary allotment papers, four years ago. Despite prior legal issues with the land and against High Court directives, Rajuk allotted 52 acres of land in Purbachal to DU so it could build a second campus there. In order to accommodate the university's growth—it currently has some 37,000 students, 1,992 teachers, 83 departments, 13 institutes, and 56 research centres and bureaus—it has been seeking to expand its infrastructure since the 1990s, with its plans being halted by changes in governments and aforementioned legal issues. 

What is even more disheartening is that many chunks of DU's original campus (that is, about 57 acres) have reportedly been lost over the decades to different governments during the British period, Pakistan period and even in independent Bangladesh. No concrete actions by any governments have been taken in the 85 years that the university has been trying to reclaim these lands, even though many promises have been made over the years. Speaking to our correspondent, the Rajuk chairman said the handover process was stalled as the case was still pending with the court. 

We can't help but wonder if this is why the DU's masterplan to redo its campus with more high-rises came about last year. If so, it is understandable why the university authorities may have resorted to planning such a drastic transformation of the historic campus and its structures. However, as experts have cautioned in the past, if DU does go through with this masterplan, it risks disrupting the preservation of the history and the natural environment of its campus. 

Thus, Rajuk must be held accountable for going against the High Court directives and promising land to DU and 83 other organisations, given that it is now coming up blank when it's time to deliver on its commitments. More importantly, the government must recognise DU's need to expand, so that it's able to accommodate its students and faculties comfortably. We urge the authorities to expedite the university's mission of recovering the parts of itself that have been lost over the years. This can significantly solve DU's infrastructural issues in a way that would not harm the existing structures and environment of the campus.