Why are female students under curfew?

It is truly shocking that even today, female students in our public universities continue to face curfews and restrictions that their male peers do not. While male students can enter and leave their residential halls at any hour, female students are subject to strict curfews. Reportedly, Dhaka University enforces a 10 pm curfew for female students, often relaxed to 11 pm, while many other public universities impose stricter deadlines of 8 pm or 9 pm, with penalties for late entry. These rules, justified in the name of safety, limit female students’ mobility, independence, and participation in university life. Such institutionalised discrimination raises serious questions about the values our public universities uphold.

The double standard of these rules is evident from the experience of one DU student cited in our report. Her mother travelled more than 300 kilometres from Dinajpur to meet her with a home-cooked meal, only to be denied entry at the hall gate because she was late. The student herself was not allowed to step outside to meet her mother. Meanwhile, male students in nearby halls continue to move freely in and out without any restriction. Why impose such unequal policies on female students who earned their place at these institutions on merit, just like their male peers?

For many female students, private tutoring and part-time work are essential for supporting their education and daily expenses. But curfews make such opportunities difficult to pursue. Some students are forced to quit or turn down formal jobs because they cannot return to their halls on time. Students also report that requests for late-entry approval often go unanswered, leaving them stranded outside. These restrictions also limit their participation in clubs, cultural programmes, academic events, and social interactions, essential for personal growth.

While hall authorities cite safety concerns, these rules seem more like moral policing. Reports of authorities making comments suggesting that “good girls” do not stay out late indicate that these policies are rooted in outdated patriarchal views about how women should behave. Such attitudes reinforce harmful stereotypes and place the burden of safety on women by restricting their movement. The public universities must adopt more equitable hall policies and create support systems that ensure the safety of female students without restricting their freedom. Female students should be granted the same autonomy that their male peers enjoy.