DHAKA,  – The authorities of Dhaka University (DU) today asked the resident students to vacate their respective dormitories by Friday evening (6 pm) in view of the coronavirus outbreak.

The authorities took the decision of vacating the residential halls at an emergency syndicate meeting this morning at Nawab Nawab Ali Chowdhury Senate building with DU Vice-Chancellor Prof M Akhtaruzzman in the chair, said a press release.

Besides, the university authorities extended the tenure of the suspension of classes and exams to March 31 from March 28.

They formed a ‘Corona Response Committee’ consisting five members and headed by the Dean of Medicine Faculty and Associate Professor of Radiology and Imaging Department of Dhaka Medical College Dr Shahriar Nabi.

The committee will coordinate the information inside the campus if the coronavirus outbreaks inside it, the press release said.

The syndicate asked the officials of DU to limit its works and permitted doing duty staying at home, it added.

The DU dormitories were last vacated following a clash between the students and some army members during the military-backed caretaker government in 2007.