Ensuring quality food at varsity canteens

Student meal in Bangladesh is synonymous with low-quality food. Almost every university student, who lives in residential halls, faces various problems. One of the main problems is that students pay more for their meals but in exchange they get low-quality and unhygienic food at the university canteens. According to a nutritionist, a university student should consume at least 2,800 kilocalories a day. However, a Jahangirnagar University-based survey conducted in 2017 says that a residential student can consume at the maximum 1,821 kilocalories per day on an average.

Sometimes students demonstrate at their respective institutions demanding quality food at tolerable prices, but the situation remains unchanged across the country over the years. The reason behind this situation is also widely known. The managers -- who take lease of canteens for a certain period - want to maximise their profit margins. Besides, the ruling party's student wing leaders remain involved in taking food without payment. In most cases, foods are prepared in an unhygienic environment in almost every public university.

The residential teachers, who are in charge of supervising the food quality and kitchen, should monitor the entire thing and take action accordingly. The administration should also increase the allowance so that students can have quality food at a low cost.

Shahadat Hossain,

Student of Jahangirnagar University,

Savar, Dhaka,

[email protected]