Dhaka University Central Students’ Union (DUCSU) has published a report on its activities and accountability during its one-year term, highlighting initiatives in student accommodation, transportation, healthcare, skills development, facilities for female students, research and academic activities, among other areas.

The union also attributed some of its shortcomings to a lack of cooperation from the university administration, various constraints and the cancellation of some government projects following the national election.

DUCSU Vice-President Abu Shadik Kayem presented the “Activities and Accountability Report” at a press conference in front of the DUCSU building on Thursday afternoon.

A book titled Khatian, detailing the union’s activities, was also published on the occasion.

According to the report, 3 crore taka was spent on modernising the Shaheed Buddhijibi Dr Mohammad Mortaza Medical Centre, 3.5 crore taka on renovating the Central Mosque, 65 lakh taka on constructing a modern gymnasium for female students, and 32 lakh taka on bedbug control and cleanliness drives in 18 residential halls.

The report also said 7.51 crore taka had been collected for renovating high-risk residential halls.

The VP said a comprehensive audit of the union’s activities was underway and detailed expenditure accounts would be published after its completion.

The 71-page report, however, shows that many of DUCSU’s initiatives remain at the planning stage, raising questions about the extent to which its election manifesto has been implemented.

The elected representatives’ body said it had helped secure the inclusion of five new residential halls and new buildings in 10 existing halls in a 2,841-crore taka development project for the university.

It also said plans had been finalised, with Chinese assistance, for a 1,500-seat hall for female students at an estimated cost of 244 crore taka.

Most of these initiatives, however, remain at the planning or pre-construction stage, leaving the university’s long-standing accommodation crisis largely unresolved.

Kayem claimed that despite a lack of cooperation from the administration and failure to receive the allocated budget, DUCSU committees had undertaken more than 1,000 initiatives over the past year in areas including accommodation, transportation, food quality, healthcare and research.

The report also highlighted the modernisation of the transport system and expansion of services, skills development initiatives and a reduction in verification fees at the registrar’s building.

DUCSU said it held meetings with university authorities and organised programmes demanding transparent allocation of residential seats and an end to the guestroom and gono room culture — overcrowded rooms where students are often accommodated collectively.

According to the report, air conditioning has been installed in 13 residential halls, while computer laboratories have been established in three halls and are nearing completion in eight others.

Students, however, said the measures had not addressed some of the university’s most pressing problems.

Sohrab Hasan, a student of the Institute of Social Welfare and Research from the 2020-21 academic session, said DUCSU could not be considered “100 percent successful” if its election manifesto was used as the benchmark.

“Many of the commitments in the manifesto remain unfulfilled. At the same time, we have repeatedly heard allegations of non-cooperation from the university administration. Given those constraints, whatever DUCSU has managed to accomplish is still a significant achievement for students,” he said.

He said the current union should also be assessed in the context of the previous DUCSU.

“Those of us who joined the university after the 2019 DUCSU election saw how little that union was able to accomplish. Compared with the previous DUCSU, this one has undoubtedly been successful,” Hasan said.

Sakhawat Arif, a 2021-22 student of the university’s Department of Marketing, said one of DUCSU’s major achievements was preventing the return of the previous pattern of political control in residential halls.

“The old form of campus politics has not returned during this DUCSU’s tenure. No political force has been able to bring back guestroom or gonoroom practices in the halls,” he said.

He also credited the union with contributing to infrastructural improvements and changes in career development, sports and medical services.

“However, in terms of its election manifesto, DUCSU has not been able to bring about significant changes in many fundamental areas,” Arif said.

Food and dining facilities remain among the unresolved issues.

Arif Hossain, a student of the Department of Economics, said students’ expectations had been high following the DUCSU election, but many remained unmet.

“The representatives could not play a strong enough role in resolving the accommodation crisis. There are also not enough seats in the library, while complaints about food quality in campus canteens and cafeterias remain regular. DUCSU has not been able to bring lasting changes in these areas,” he said.

Nusrat Jahan, a student of the Department of Law, alleged that some DUCSU representatives had prioritised political and personal influence over their core responsibilities.

“Instead of addressing the regular problems faced by students, some of them appeared more interested in activities that would make headlines. Despite promises to ensure a safe and student-friendly campus, they failed in many cases to speak up for students’ rights and reflect their concerns,” she said.