The construction of a new residential hall for female students at the Dhaka University (DU), funded by the Chinese government, is expected to begin in the first half of next year, according to Chinese Ambassador Yao Wen.
He visited the proposed construction site at the playground of Jagannath Hall on Monday afternoon. The dormitory will be built at an estimated cost of Tk 2.44 billion.
Yao Wen said all necessary internal administrative procedures have already been completed by the Bangladesh side, and a Chinese technical team has arrived in Dhaka to assess and select a suitable location for the building. He added that the final decision on the site would be taken within the next few days.
"I hope that construction work will begin in the first half of next year," he said.
The envoy noted that the new facility aims to create urgently needed educational and residential opportunities for female students.
Yao Wen said the Chinese government currently offers more than 10,000 scholarships, of which he believes nearly half are awarded to female students.
DU Vice-Chancellor Professor Niaz Ahmed Khan thanked the Chinese ambassador for the initiative. He said although around 53 per cent of DU students are women, the university lacks adequate residential facilities for them.
DU Treasurer Professor M. Jahangir Alam Chowdhury, Provost of Jagannath Hall Professor Debashish Pal, Provost of Shamsunnahar Hall Professor Nasrin Sultana, and members of the Chinese expert team also visited the site.
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