A cafeteria which students usually avoid

The dilapidated cafeteria at the Arts Faculty Building basement at Chittagong University. PHOTO: STAR

But the university authorities are indifferent to the problems of as many as 8,000 students of the two faculties. Besides, there is no cafeteria for the Science Faculty students.

In such a situation, most of the students are to attend practical classes without lunch and compelled to go hungry even for the whole day, sources said.

Rice -- mixed with sand, hair, feathers of poultry and stones -- is served at the Arts Faculty cafeteria, popularly known as "underground cafeteria".

It remains inundated by knee-deep water to add to the sufferings of the students during the rainy season, sources said.

Students take fast foods from nearby tea stalls, popularly known as "jhupri", beside the arts building.

Chittagong University Central Students Union (Cucsu) cafeteria serves rich foods -- pilau and meat -- of poor quality and small in quantity as well, students said.

Wahiduzzaman, a student of Science Faculty said, "It is very difficult to attend practical classes with empty stomach after lunch hour. But, I hardly dare to take the foods at the cafeteria as they will create different intestinal disorders in me."

"I have to go, sometimes almost the whole day, with whatever I take before rushing to the university in the morning," he said.

Shamsuddin Ahmed, a fourth year student of the same faculty, said "I stopped taking unhygienic foods and the impure drinking water from these cafeterias as they caused me to develop jaundice twice."

"Perhaps the students of the two faculties are victim of indifference of the university authorities, who allowed the cafeteria to run at the basement while those for Commerce and Social Science faculties were in the main buildings," said Mohammed Ilias, a student of the arts faculty.

AKM Moinuddin, another student of the arts faculty, said a drive against the unhygienic foods at the cafeteria is a must.

Ayub Ali, proprietor of the underground cafeteria, said he can not serve improved and quality foods as there is no subsidy from the university authorities.

"We requested the university authorities repeatedly in vain to construct a wall to prevent rainwater and drain waters from seeping inside," Ayub said.

Proctor Dr Mohammed Al Amin said the cafeteria at the basement has been serving unhygienic and substandard food.

"We warned the owner against it and told him to serve the students with better and hygienic food," he added.

Dr Amin said the authorities, however, have a plan to set up new cafeteria at the Arts Faculty Building.

Meanwhile, several hundred students of Law Faculty and Microbiology Department are also facing the same problem as most of the cafeterias, hotels and university-authorised canteens are located far away from their respective faculties.