Two Lifts Shut Down at JnU’s 16-Storey Hall, Leaving 1,200 Students in Distress
Around 1,200 residential students at Nawab Faizunnesa Chowdhurani Hall, the sole female dormitory of Jagannath University, are enduring severe distress as two of the 16-storey building’s four elevators have remained completely out of order. The two operational lifts fail to serve all floors simultaneously, with one stopping exclusively at even-numbered floors and the other at odd-numbered floors. This setup forces students to switch lifts midway or face long queues during morning and evening rush hours, leading to frequent delays for classes and examinations.
Beyond operational delays, safety concerns have created widespread panic among residents due to frequent severe jerks, unusual noises, and instances of students getting trapped inside. Nadia Afrin Keya, a student from the university’s 20th batch living on the 12th floor, stated, ‘The hall elevators have now become a source of panic for us. I’ve been stuck on the 9th and 5th floors multiple times. Sometimes the lift shakes so violently and makes such loud noises that it feels like a major accident could happen at any moment’.
Students have demanded the immediate restoration of the out-of-order lifts alongside a comprehensive technical inspection covering critical components such as motors, brakes, cables, sensors, doors, and control systems across all four elevators. They also called for functional emergency phones, intercoms, alarm systems, and regular maintenance protocols. Jannatul Ummi Tarin, Vice President of the Hall Union, noted, ‘We have been repeatedly raising the elevator issue with the university administration for nearly three months. Recently, all four elevators remained entirely shut down from morning until noon’.
Administration officials attribute part of the disruption to severe overcrowding and intense daily usage relative to the facility’s design capacity. Professor Dr. Bushra Jahan, a house tutor at the hall, explained, ‘The student population far exceeds the capacity and resource limits of our 16-storey hall. Trying to maximize the utility of these limited resources puts excessive load on the elevators, naturally leading to occasional technical glitches like dust accumulating on door sensors. However, whenever a problem arises, the hall administration and staff try to resolve it immediately.’
Addressing the ongoing crisis, university authorities indicated that formal administrative measures are being taken to address elevator maintenance across the campus premises. Helal Uddin Patwary, Chief Engineer of Jagannath University, stated, ‘A new company has already been contracted for the routine maintenance of the hall’s elevators. However, we have not yet received any formal notification or complaint regarding the two elevators currently out of service. We are looking into the matter and will take prompt action to resolve it.’
