To live a healthy life, we need to eat nutritious food. But the food items available in the canteens of Dhaka University do not seem to have much nutrition. And residential students of the university have to consume canteen food only to survive. Most of the students who come to study here are from middle-class families. Eating outside regularly is impossible for many of them. Hall canteens have around 15 food items but one cannot consume most of them for their bad taste. There are allegations that the canteen authorities often cook khichuri in the morning for students with leftover rice. However, the price of food items has been increasing. DU students now have to spend additional Tk 20 to Tk 30 per meal as the food prices increased at the hall canteens. Where chicken was available for Tk 40 earlier, it now costs Tk 50. Students sometimes fall sick after having canteen foods.
Although the prices of food items are increasing by leaps and bounds at DU hall canteens, their quality is not improving at all. In such a situation, it is impossible for us to bear the increased food cost. The hall authorities run canteens on lease under private ownership. And the canteen owners keep food prices high for making more profit. So, we urge the university authorities to pay more subsidies to keep food prices within the reach of the students. Improving the quality of food at DU canteens is now a much-needed demand that should be met as soon as possible. The DU administration should also regularly supervise the canteens and check quality of their food items.
Tariful Haque,
Student of University of Dhaka, Dhaka,
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