Drone Flights Banned Without Permission at Chittagong University Campus

Drone cameras can no longer be flown at the University of Chittagong campus without prior permission from the proctor's office. The university administration imposed the ban citing campus security, discipline and the protection of students' personal privacy.

An urgent notice signed by the university's proctor, Professor Dr Md Kamrul Hossain, was issued on Sunday (25 October), announcing the new instruction.

According to the notice, unidentified individuals or groups have repeatedly been flying drone cameras at various places on campus without permission in recent times. The administration decided to act after these incidents came to its attention.

The administration views drones being flown near students' residential halls as particularly concerning. The notice says such incidents threaten the university's overall security and discipline as well as the personal privacy of students.

Under the new rule, anyone who needs to fly a drone inside the campus must first obtain permission from the proctor's office. Permission from the university alone is not enough; applicable government regulations must also be followed, the notice makes clear.

It also warns that legal action will be taken against anyone who violates the instruction. In other words, flying a drone without permission will now be treated as a punishable offence.

The use of drones for photography and videography has grown sharply in recent years. Using drones for weddings, events or personal videography has become commonplace, and open, green spaces such as university campuses tend to attract even more interest.

But a camera-equipped drone hovering near residential halls naturally makes students uneasy. The fear that one's photo or video could be recorded without their knowledge is what raises the privacy question.

The administration's decision is not a complete ban but a permission-based control system. The route of applying to the proctor's office for legitimate needs has been kept open.

This means the administration will know in advance who is flying a drone on campus, when and where. Those concerned see this as important from a security standpoint.

Attention will now be on whether unauthorised drone flights on campus decline after the instruction takes effect, and on how students receive the decision.