Growing CU commuters add to suffering

Many students are forced to travel on the roof of shuttle trains because of the growing number of students in Chittagong University

Located around 22 kilometres off the port city, the university has capacity to accommodate around 6,000 students, out of 16,000, in nine dormitories and some private cottages on the campus, forcing the rest to stay out of campus.

Around 10,000 students are to depend on transports to attend their classes.

They shuttle back and forth between the port city and the university campus and two shuttle trains are making four to five round trips everyday.

Besides, there are some age-old maxis, buses and mini buses, locally known as Tori, plying this route hardly offering the students a comfortable journey.

The shuttle trains each with eight 120-seat compartments carry students more than its capacity in rush hour everyday, risking their lives.

When the trains leave Sholoshahar railway station in the city in the morning or CU railway station in the afternoon, no space is left to allow even a single person to stand inside the compartments, the students said.

Many students are forced to travel climbing the rooftops or sitting on the windows risking lives when they are in a hurry to attend important classes, examinations or reach home and fall victim to accidents often.

Three people, including a student of Finance Department, were injured when they fell from the roof of the Chittagong city-bound shuttle train on November 30.

The accident occurred when cables of satellite connections threw them off the rooftop near Sholoshahar Railway Station.

Mohammed Zahidul Islam, a student of arts faculty said, "Its' too tough to attend the classes in the morning when they virtually have to fight to get on the trains."

On the other hand, many of the guardians are reluctant to enrol their wards in the university only due to the transport crisis.

While travelling by the shuttle train Engineer Khairul Alam, who came here from Rajshahi along with his admission-seeking daughter, expressed his frustration over means of transportation.

"If my daughter qualifies in the admission test I'll have to think whether it would be wise to send my daughter to this university for the transportation hassle the students are facing," said Khairul.

"Making journey in such a packed shuttle train is very tough and terrific, particularly for a female student," he said.

Proctor Dr Didarul Alam Chowdhury said the university authorities are trying to increase trips of the shuttle trains.

"Recently we have sent a letter to the railway authorities to start two more trips in the morning and the afternoon," he said.

"A university team will meet the railway authorities in this regard soon," said the proctor.