Cumilla Victoria Government College, one of the oldest educational institutions in Bangladesh, carries a 126-year legacy of history and heritage. Yet, the institution now faces multiple crises. A severe shortage of teachers is disrupting education, while a housing crisis forces nearly 97 per cent of students to live in messes or rented flats. On top of that, the campus becomes waterlogged after even light rainfall.
The college was established on 24 November, 1899, by zamindar Roy Bahadur Ananda Chandra Roy. Today, the college campus is divided into two sections: the higher secondary campus is located by Rani Dighi in the Kandirpar area—the heart of Cumilla city—while the degree and honors section is situated in Dharmapur on the outskirts of the city.
A total of 29,850 students are currently enrolled at the college—2,400 in the higher secondary section and the rest in the degree and honors programs. However, despite the large number of students, accommodation is extremely limited as only about 3.4 per cent can stay in dormitories. The rest must rent rooms or flats, which increases their monthly expenses three- to fourfold.
A student named Motaleb Hossain told Prothom Alo, “Nine of us share a three-room flat in Dharmapur. The rent alone is Tk 11,000 per month, not counting food and other expenses. It’s unfortunate that such an old and historic college has no proper accommodation for its students.”
