DHAKA, Nov 22, 2025 (BSS) - Several residential halls of Dhaka University 
(DU) sustained damage and a number of students were injured in Friday's 
earthquake, drawing sharp concern from the White Panel, a group of DU 
teachers aligned with Bangladesh nationalist ideology.

In a statement issued today, the panel's Convener Professor Dr. Morshed Hasan 
Khan, Joint Convenors Prof Dr. Abdus Salam and Prof Dr. Abul Kalam Sarkar 
expressed grave worry over the incident.

The White Panel leaders said the damage exposed the vulnerability of the 
university's residential infrastructure and revealed a worrying level of 
indifference toward student safety.

They urged the university authorities to take immediate steps to ensure 
proper medical care for the injured, emphasizing that all treatment expenses 
must be borne by Dhaka University (DU).

The statement noted that many DU halls are old and dilapidated, making them 
structurally unsuitable for withstanding earthquakes or similar natural 
disasters. 

The teachers said that despite repeated warnings, the administration had 
failed to undertake effective measures to address these risks.

The panel demanded a clear and time-bound roadmap for demolishing old and 
hazardous residential halls and constructing new, modern, earthquake-
resistant buildings in their place.

Until new halls are built, they called on the authorities to arrange safe, 
temporary accommodations-- such as tin-shed or precast structures--within the 
campus for students currently residing in damaged or unsafe facilities.

The leaders recommended that DU should develop a comprehensive disaster-
management plan and conduct regular drills to strengthen preparedness for 
future emergencies.

Ensuring student safety and secure housing is one of the administration's 
foremost responsibilities; the White Panel said negligence in this regard is 
unacceptable. 

The statement called for prompt, effective and transparent action from the 
university authorities to improve the university situation.