Aiming to end religious discrimination on campus by introducing prayer rooms for students from minority Christian, a century-old university in Bangladesh took the first step. Hindu and Buddhist religions at their hostels.
On 11 July, Dhaka University (DU) opened its first multi-religion prayer room for students at the Shamsunnahar Hall. The prayer room consists of three altars — one with a picture of Jesus Christ, another with Buddha, and the third with Hindu deities.
Catherine Labanya Das, 24, a Catholic student pursuing her final-year business group studies, welcomed the move but said it came a bit late. She hoped the university would also allow places of worship of other religions on campus in the future.
Universities in the country typically allow mosques on campuses for students from the majority Muslim religion.
DU decided to end the discrimination by making space for other religions in its hostels.
Professor Lafifa Jamal, provost of Shamsunnahar Hall, said: “The University is a non-sectarian space where students of all religions have equal rights. We expect other educational institutions to follow the example set by Dhaka University.”
She agreed that the decision should have been taken earlier, but hoped that gradually prayer halls will be introduced for students of all religions.
Das said as a Catholic she always prayed before venturing out for exams. “Now we have a place to pray on the campus of the university,” she added.
The university has over 38,000 students on its rolls, and more than 2,000 faculty members.