West Bengal State University’s hostel remains closed nearly a month after alleged student clashes on campus, leaving around 40 residents without institutional accommodation and forcing several students to commute long distances or pay for private messes. On Tuesday, students were allowed to enter the hostel in the presence of police to collect their belongings and essential documents.
The hostel was closed after clashes between students affiliated with the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad and the Trinamool Chhatra Parishad during Rakhi Bandhan celebrations in August, according to a report by Sangbad Pratidin – Bengal. The campus became tense after allegations of vandalism at the boys’ hostel.
Following the incident, the vice-chancellor directed resident students to vacate the hostel. The accommodation has remained locked since then, with no confirmed date for reopening. Many of the residents are from districts outside the university’s immediate area and have been affected by the loss of on-campus housing.
Some students have been travelling to the university from their homes over long distances, while others have moved into rented messes at additional expense. The disruption has therefore extended beyond the hostel premises, affecting how students reach campus and manage their regular education-related costs.
Students were permitted to retrieve their belongings and necessary documents on Tuesday in coordination with the police. Personnel from Duttapukur police station were present when the residents entered the hostel and collected their possessions.
A resident quoted in the report said the hostel had been particularly important for students living far from the university. The student said residents were now required either to travel from home or stay in private messes, while the reopening date remained unclear.
Vice-chancellor Debabrata Mitra said the students’ temporary access to the hostel did not mean that the facility was being permanently closed. According to him, some students had applied to collect documents and essential belongings, and permission was granted after coordination with the police.
Mitra said the hostel would be reopened after repair work was completed. The university has not provided a specific completion date for the repairs or announced when students will be able to return to the accommodation.
The immediate issue for residents is therefore unresolved: they have recovered their belongings, but remain without a confirmed timeline for restoration of the hostel service. The next stated step is completion of the repair work, after which the university says the facility will reopen.
