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A seven-member group of protesting students from Dhaka Medical College is headed to the Secretariat to meet Nur Jahan Begum, the adviser to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. The principal of Dhaka Medical College will also accompany them.
Dhaka Medical College student Touhidul Abedin Tanvir said on Monday that five male and two female students from the medical college will go to the ministry on Monday.
“Our students wanted the adviser to come and see the condition of our hostels, or we could meet her and present an explanation of the conditions we face. The ministry has asked me to go through our principal sir. That is why a team of us is going there.”
Touhidul said that they will announce a decision on their ongoing protest after the meeting with the adviser, bdnews24.com reports.
“We will decide the next course of action after the meeting with the adviser. We will inform everyone about this.”
Students demonstrated at Dhaka Medical College on Saturday morning as part of movement pushing for a five-point list of demands, including safe campus and accommodation.
Their five demands are:
1. Immediate budget approval for constructing new male and female halls.
2. Guaranteed alternative housing until the new halls are completed.
3. Dedicated budget for a new academic building.
4. Separate approval and fast-track implementation of accommodation and academic infrastructure budgets.
5. Appointment of student representatives to ensure transparency in all project updates and progress reports.
Amid the protests, the authorities declared the closure of Dhaka Medical College on Saturday. Students were asked to leave their residential halls by Sunday. The students announced that they would continue their protests without leaving the halls.
The students held a meeting with the college administration on Sunday morning. After the meeting, the students said that no “assurance” was received that their demands would be accepted from the discussion. As such, they announced that they would continue the programme without leaving the hostel.
Abdullah Al Noman of Batch K-79, on behalf of the medical college students, said: "Discussions have been held with the principal. I am giving a 24-hour ultimatum to resolve the housing crisis. Health Adviser Nurjahan Begum and a team from the ministry will come by noon on Monday and inspect the condition of the risky halls. Otherwise, our movement will escalate further and further."