Construction of two RU halls still in limbo

Construction works for two residential buildings on the Rajshahi University (RU) premises are yet to start, even after more than a year and a half after the inauguration of the project. The delay in construction is making students suffer due to a seat crisis, especially as a good number of residential seats have been kept reserved in advance by ruling party leaders and activists.

On September 29, 2018, President Abdul Hamid, chancellor of RU, laid the foundation stone of two new 10-storey halls—Shaheed AHM Kamaruzzaman Hall (for men) and Deshratna Shiekh Hasina Hall (for women)—to house university students. But the construction works for the halls have not begun.

Sources said the Executive Committee of National Economic Council (ECNEC) had approved the Tk 363-crore project in 2016. It was scheduled to start in 2017 and completed by June 2020. RU authorities said that the budget for the buildings was prepared in accordance with the schedule of the public work development’s (PWD) 2014 rates. The rates were increased in 2018 for any civil work. The hiked budget stood at Tk 510 crore after an upward revision. But the work failed to begin due to budgetary complexities.

Sources said that the varsity authorities had not submitted any project-related document to the ECNEC. Khandakar Shahariar Rahman, RU director (in-charge of planning and development section) said, “The revised designing, planning, and place selection for these halls have been completed. We will send the file to the authorities concerned within the next 15 days. After the approval of the file and calling of fresh tender bids, construction works will begin.” Currently, RU has 37,248 are regular students under nine faculties in 53 departments and 11 institutions, 43 Phd holders, 106 MPhil fellows and 149 researchers. Among them, only 8,825 students enjoy residential facilities on the campus.

RU Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr M Abdus Sobhan said, “Owing a delay in the revision of the budget, we have failed to start the construction works on time. We are trying our best to start the construction of the two halls after getting the ECNEC’s approval."

 

Construction of two RU halls still in limbo

Construction works for two residential buildings on the Rajshahi University (RU) premises are yet to start, even after more than a year and a half after the inauguration of the project. The delay in construction is making students suffer due to a seat crisis, especially as a good number of residential seats have been kept reserved in advance by ruling party leaders and activists. On September 29, 2018, President Abdul Hamid, chancellor of RU, laid the foundation stone of two new 10-storey hallsShaheed AHM Kamaruzzaman Hall (for men) and Deshratna Shiekh Hasina Hall (for women)to house university students. But the construction works for the halls have not begun. Sources said the Executive Committee of National Economic Council (ECNEC) had approved the Tk 363-crore project in 2016. It was scheduled to start in 2017 and completed by June 2020. RU authorities said that the budget for the buildings was prepared in accordance with the schedule of the public work developments (PWD) 2014 rates. The rates were increased in 2018 for any civil work. The hiked budget stood at Tk 510 crore after an upward revision. But the work failed to begin due to budgetary complexities. Sources said that the varsity authorities had not submitted any project-related document to the ECNEC. Khandakar Shahariar Rahman, RU director (in-charge of planning and development section) said, The revised designing, planning, and place selection for these halls have been completed. We will send the file to the authorities concerned within the next 15 days. After the approval of the file and calling of fresh tender bids, construction works will begin. Currently, RU has 37,248 are regular students under nine faculties in 53 departments and 11 institutions, 43 Phd holders, 106 MPhil fellows and 149 researchers. Among them, only 8,825 students enjoy residential facilities on the campus. RU Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr M Abdus Sobhan said, Owing a delay in the revision of the budget, we have failed to start the construction works on time. We are trying our best to start the construction of the two halls after getting the ECNECs approval.