As many Dhaka University students face numerous problems for not having a proof of their studentship the university authorities hope to provide smart ID cards to all undergraduate students by next month.
This optimism has been voiced by Prof Mustafizur Rahman, convener of DU online admission committee, in an interview with UNB this week.
Dhaka University, which is celebrating the 100th anniversary of its founding, has over 37,000 regular students in its 83 departments under 13 faculties.
About 2,000 of the students or over six per cent are yet to get any proper ID cards of their studentship.
For the lack of their identity cards the students are facing problems such as borrowing books from the university library and in getting the recently-introduced half-fare ride in public transports. Besides, having this historic institution's ID cards is also a matter of pride for the students.
Transport operators have recently agreed to accept half-fare from students at every level provided they can show their IDs issued by their educational institutions.
Most of the students without ID cards are from the social science faculty consisting 16 departments.
In this faculty only the students of the departments of Economic and Japanese studies have been given IDs from the departments. The other departments of the faculty are lagging behind.
For example, students from the departments of Political Science, Sociology, International Relationship, Mass Communication and Journalism, Anthropology, Population Science, Peace and Conflict, Women and Gender Studies, Television, Film and Photography, Public Administration, Printing and Publications, Development Studies, Criminology and Communication Disorder are yet to get ID cards.
Prof Mustafizur said, "We have already provided 35000 smart cards to the students during Covid pandemic and remaining 2000 cards will be provided soon."
Hoping to provide smart cards to all undergraduate students of Dhaka University by the end of February he said: "We were having some technical and monetary issues regarding the process of smart card making during covid-19 period but now, we addressed our issues and are ready to restart the process of smart card making."
"Students, who took readmission, will also be provided with smart ID cards", he added.
Prof Bashir Ahmed, chairman of the provost standing committee, said, "Both residents and non-resident students are being provided with ID cards by concerned hall authorities if they are eligible."
In another development the university authorities has taken the decision of issuing smart ID card to every student from this academic year.
Earlier, students could only avail their ID cards from halls and there were two types of hall ID cards - one is residential ID card and another is non-resident ID card.
Tibur Rahman Sifat, a 2nd-year student of Mass Communication and Journalism (MCJ), said, "I am a student of Dhaka University since 2020, but I don't have any identity card. Isn't it funny!"
He said students without ID cards often are harassed by bus conductors for not being able show it.
"I'm hoping to have smart ID card after the completing my graduation", another under graduate student of fourth year said in despair.
Shahrin Mahmud Shanta, a 2nd-year student of Anthropology Department, said, "Resident students at least have hall identity card. But non-resident students don't have it. Our pay-in-slip isn't handy to carry either. We are in a troublesome situation."
Fayaj Ahnaf Samin, a 2nd year student of MCJ department, said, "Already two years from our university life are gone but we did not have any kind of identity card. We have aid an amount of Tk 600 for smart ID card during admission."
"Non-resident students do not get any kind of ID card from halls." he added.
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