26/12/2025
For a considerable period, the food prices at the IUT cafeteria for non-residential students stood at BDT 40 for breakfast and BDT 70 for lunch. The administration maintained that the additional fees collected from residential students were utilised as subsidies for the cafeteria.
Subsequently, during the month of Ramadan, the authorities abruptly increased the price of iftar from BDT 70 to BDT 100 (or possibly BDT 120—there is some uncertainty), without any prior consultation or notice. This increase occurred despite a noticeable decline in both the quality and quantity of the food provided. In effect, iftar itself became a profit-oriented venture.
At that juncture, the logic presented was that residential students were being subjected to discrimination—why should non-residential students benefit from funds contributed by residential students? If that were genuinely the concern, then the reasonable course of action would have been to reduce the financial burden on residential students. Instead, the costs borne by all students were increased. This raises a fundamental question: if additional funds are still being collected from residential students, where exactly are those funds now being utilised?
At present, the breakfast price has been raised from BDT 40 to BDT 70. It is difficult to justify this figure when the actual cost of a typical breakfast appears to be significantly lower. An egg costs approximately BDT 10, bread around BDT 15 (purchased wholesale), butter roughly BDT 15, and tea no more than BDT 2. Even at the upper bound, the total cost should not exceed BDT 45–50. Similarly, khichuri with chicken is available outside for BDT 70, indicating that the cafeteria’s production cost should be no more than BDT 40–50, if not less. Only beef teheri could reasonably justify a price of BDT 70; however, beef is generally unavailable after 8 a.m., at which point students are instead served half an egg—literally half, even when ordering egg fry.
The lunch price has been increased from BDT 70 to BDT 120—nearly double—without any corresponding improvement in quality. Beef dishes are often served with excessive fat, and there appears to be no effective oversight or accountability. Rui fish with rice costs BDT 110, while outside the campus, chicken with rice is available for BDT 90.
In essence, the current system has evolved into one that exploits not only residential students but non-residential students as well. Yet, there seems to be no meaningful protest or resistance. Ultimately, justice for this unfairness rests with Allah Rabbul Alameen, who shall judge all matters, Insha’Allah.
