Most DU House Tutors duck duties despite facilities

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Most of the house tutors at Dhaka University (DU) dormitories tend to duck duties despite drawing financial and promotional benefits and enjoying housing facilities for shouldering the responsibilities, reports BSS.
According to the university budget book, DU allocated Tk 3.1 million under the head of allowance for the provosts and house tutors of 19 dormitories for the financial year 2007-08.
The DU has at least 120 house tutors and 70 assistant house tutors at 19 dormitories, according to the sources.
Students say if the house tutors had been regular on duty, they would not have faced the seat crisis and outsiders could not be staying in the halls.
"It took me many days to meet a house tutor to get a dormitory seat", said Mansur Alam, a resident student of Zahurul Haque Hall.
"If the house tutors could monitor the hall canteens regularly, then resident students would receive far better services ", he added.
The house tutors get Taka 1,000 in extra allowances and assistant house tutors receive Taka 800. All of them get flats close to the dormitories to carry out regular duties.
Non-resident students have to go to house tutors for seat allotment and resident students meet them for changing rooms.
According to the DU ordinance and regulations, amended up to 1997, the roles of house tutors include monitoring the arrival and departure of resident students in and out of halls.
They are also supposed to call the roll and seek explanations from absentees, check leave applications and look after dining rooms, canteens, furniture and other hall properties.
"The post of house tutors should be changed into assistant provost", said a house tutor of Zahurul Haque Hall on condition of anonymity.
He, said the role of house tutors was earlier to look after the resident students and oversee tutorial exams at dormitories. "Now we assist the provost at the hall", he added.
Campus sources allege many house tutors were appointed on political grounds, probably to shy away from their teaching duties.
"Not only house tutors but also provost were appointed with political ties to the ruling parties in different times," a DU official said.
Professor Jahidul Islam, provost of Zahurul Haque Hall, said the house tutors did not visit the hall regularly. "They neglect their duties", Prof Islam said. If the house tutors had paid attention, the students would have been much more benefited.