Guardians, candidates face acute lodging problems

RAJSHAHI, May 29: Rajshahi University (RU) commenced its admission tests for the academic year 2022-23 on Monday, starting with the examination for the 'C' unit. As a consequence of a substantial influx of admission aspirants and their guardians to Rajshahi city, both the students and their parents are grappling with lodging predicaments in hotels, motels or messes.
The 'A' unit examination is scheduled for Tuesday, while the 'B' unit examination is set for Wednesday.
A total of 178,574 students are participating in this year's admission tests, vying for 3,930 available seats. Among the applicants, 72,050 students have applied for the 'A' unit, 30,674 for the 'B' unit, and 75,850 for the 'C' unit.
Consequently, there will be an average of 45 candidates competing for each seat in the admission test.
On average, there are two guardians accompanying the students who come to participate in the admission test. As a result, an additional pressure of at least 0.5 million people has been created in Rajshahi. Many applicants and their guardians are worried about not finding a place to stay in such a situation, and there are concerns about their participation in the exam.
Every year during the admission test, accommodation problems arise in Rajshahi due to the increased pressure of people. This time is no exception, and there is apprehension about the participation of many applicants who haven't secured seats in hotels, motels, or messes.
Shamim Hossain, a student of the history department at RU, mentioned that his cousin is supposed to come with his uncle from Thakurgaon to attend the entrance examination. However, after searching for a seat in various residential hotels in the city, they were unable to find one.
As a result, they will come to Rajshahi early in the morning on May 31. This situation has raised concerns about their ability to appear in the examination.
Khandkar Hasan Kabir, the general secretary of the Rajshahi Residential Hotel Owners Association, said that there are a total of 50 residential hotels in Rajshahi, with a capacity of 1,800 to 2,000 seats.
However, during the admission test, the hotel owners are left embarrassed and frustrated. Many well-known individuals sought a seat in the hotel, but there is no way to accommodate them.
Prof Sultan-ul-Islam, pro-vice-chancellor of Rajshahi University, said that as in previous years, candidates who have acquaintances in the city can stay with them. Additionally, male and female candidates can stay separately in the two university gymnasiums.
"We have also communicated with all relevant parties, including mess and hotel owners, to ensure that everyone can take the exam without any issues. The administration has taken various measures to facilitate this.
However, if anyone encounters a problem, they can contact the Student Counseling Office, and every effort will be made to make suitable arrangements."
Besides, the parents of the students have been provided accommodation in the university mosque, residential halls, and gymnasium.
Additionally, four buildings in the residential area (Paschim Para) allocated for teachers have been made available for the guardians.

anaetru@gmail.com