Students Move into Shahjalal University Dorms with Legal Seat Allocations After Over a Decade

For the first time in over a decade, students at Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST) in Sylhet have begun moving into dormitories with legally allocated seats. On Tuesday, students started occupying their assigned seats in various residential halls.

Since the morning, students were seen gathering at the gates of Shah Paran Hall and Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Hall, eager to move in. Several students expressed their relief, saying, “We used to feel scared even being near the dorms before. To secure a seat, we had to be involved with student politics. Now, that fear is gone. We have received our seats legally.”

Md. Ishak, the university's Director of Student Welfare and Counseling, stated, "Eighty percent of the seats in the three male dormitories have been allocated to students from the second year to master's level, while 20 percent have been reserved for first-year, first-semester students."

According to university sources, after a political shift on August 5, various demands were made regarding the restructuring of dormitory seat allocation. On September 25, the university's academic council passed new regulations, stipulating that 60 percent of seats would be allocated based on merit and 40 percent based on special needs (such as financial hardship, disability, journalism, or being a university athlete). A committee for policy formulation and implementation allocated seats between October 3 and 6, with students completing their registrations from October 8 to 14. On Tuesday, students began moving into their assigned dormitories.

The university has approximately 8,500 students, but only 35 percent have access to residential dormitory facilities. The rest reside in nearby private accommodations, often facing various challenges. To address the housing shortage, students held a protest on October 6, demanding the construction of new dormitories.