On 13 December, Dhaka University restricted automobile recede by its campus.
“This is an academic establishment, not Sadarghat or a fish market,” DU Proctor Saifuddin Ahmed stated, defending the restriction. The first purpose, he famend, is to be definite a regain tutorial atmosphere the place college students, lecturers and workers can pass freely without anxiety.
The unrestricted drift of automobiles, in step with Ahmed, had created a chaotic and risky atmosphere for faculty students, with incidents of harassment and snatching turning into more and more frequent.
The proctor stated he has seen improved campus stipulations since the limitations were implemented. “This day, other folks moved around the campus noteworthy more with ease. With out these restrictions, such ease can own to aloof not had been that that it’s doubtless you’ll perchance moreover take into consideration,” he stated.
While acknowledging the elevated visitors congestion at the college’s entry gates, he mentioned that the authorities are working with the visitors division to make buffer times to ease the anxiety.
Alternatively, the bottom actuality remains that city residents suffered very a lot from visitors jams within the Shahbag, Dhaka Scientific College and Current Market areas.
Past exacerbated visitors woes, one reveal town can most absolutely dwell without, this restriction has wider implications and has ignited a debate on the project.
Denying bring collectively entry to to public dwelling
Critics of the limitations argue that the measure’s implementation has been poorly deliberate, causing vital disruptions in surrounding areas.
Frustration became palpable among city residents who intended to bring collectively entry to the final public dwelling inner the campus on weekends. Dhaka University, in spite of all the issues, became not restricted to college students alone all these years. Shahid Minar and DMC are located inner the DU campus, which warrants public bring collectively entry to.
Furthermore, a lot of the roads the place the college has restricted visitors plunge beneath the jurisdiction of Dhaka South Metropolis Corporation. Alternatively, Dhaka University authorities stated that they had consulted with the DMP Traffic Division and the Metropolis Corporation prior to implementing their resolution.
DU Sociology Affiliate Professor Samina Luthfa criticised the limitations, highlighting the negative affect on sufferers accessing hospitals around the campus. In a Facebook post, she argued against banning all automobiles by the campus, calling it a ‘public dwelling’.
Urban Planner Professor Adil Muhammed Khan raised broader issues referring to the implications of limiting public roads in a city love Dhaka.
“Dhaka University will not be factual a college; it is a reveal of our history, public dwelling and city actuality,” he told TBS. Over decades, the campus has change into central to town, surrounded by very important establishments love Dhaka Scientific and Current Market. These routes by DU are on the total essentially the most provocative for commuters. “Consider if BUET moreover determined to ban bring collectively entry to. What would happen then?” he asked.
This city planner emphasised the need for DU to accommodate city realities in desire to keeping aside itself. He instructed various measures to relief security, akin to elevated surveillance, categorizing nuisances, or limiting explicit styles of automobiles in desire to imposing blanket bans. Blocking off bring collectively entry to for interior most automobiles or rickshaws, that are integral to city life, creates elevated systemic problems, he argued.
Professor Khan moreover warned that limiting bring collectively entry to might perchance diminish DU’s historical position as a hub for nationwide actions. Public roads outdated college for a long time change true into a just true for the oldsters, and limiting bring collectively entry to undermines the college’s significance as a gathering pickle for protests and demonstrations.
The final public bring collectively entry to to this campus, per chance, is one in every of essentially the most significant aspects of this college which makes it a larger piece of Bangladesh’s history from 1952 to 2024.
For the length of the uprising against Sheikh Hasina, which entered its remaining stage on 3 August, other folks from all walks of life outdated college the streets of Dhaka University to attain Shahid Minar, the place Nahid Islam announced the one-level inquire of for Hasina’s plunge.
“If other folks can not regain, the larger position of Dhaka University will moreover shrink,” Professor Khan stated.
More visitors, even less public relief
On the day when the limitations went into cease, ambulance drivers were caught for a extraordinarily long time on the roads. From rickshaws and bikes to interior most automobiles, the cascading cease of the visitors restriction became felt within the total Dhaka University neighbourhood.
An ambulance driver, Md Rubel, told TBS that it took him two hours to unsuitable the Dhaka Scientific dwelling resulting from the jams introduced on by checkpoint inspections.
Exterior automobiles had been restricted from coming into a variety of key college capabilities at some level of explicit hours. These restrictions apply from 5pm to 10pm on weekdays and from 3pm to 10pm on weekends and holidays.
Exceptions include automobiles with DU stickers, ambulances, media automobiles and authorities automobiles.
“We now own got kept the avenue from Palashi to the High Court commence, with no barriers by Bakshi Bazar, the Burn Unit, and other areas. Alternatively, now we own restricted visitors in sections love Udayan College, Russel Tower, and Doyel Chattar to take care of control over this piece of the campus,” the DU proctor stated.
Is the blanket ban justified?
The controversy over DU’s automobile restrictions highlights the stress between ensuring security and placing forward the college’s integration into town’s fabric.
Now, the administration’s issues about pupil security are cramped doubt legit however the disruptions caused to commuters and emergency products and services can’t be uncared for.
What’s wanted is a more nuanced scheme, one which addresses security without keeping aside the campus. To that cease, Adil Muhammad Khan argued that spaces love the Shaheed Minar, located inner the campus, take care of nationwide significance. Proscribing bring collectively entry to to such spaces can own far-reaching consequences for public life in Dhaka.
In its efforts to regain the campus, DU must sustain in tips its responsibility as a public establishment located within the coronary heart of Dhaka. Placing the provocative balance between security and accessibility would require collaboration between the college, city authorities and the final public.
Most provocative then can the college be definite a safe tutorial atmosphere whereas placing forward its position as an integral piece of Dhaka’s city panorama.
