Protesting DMC students to decide whether to return to classes Tuesday

Describing their discussion with a special assistant to the chief advisor as “fruitful”, protesting students of Dhaka Medical College (DMC) have said they will decide on resuming classes on Tuesday after meeting with Principal Kamrul Alam.

Two days after the protest began, a seven-member group of students, accompanied by Kamrul, went to the health ministry at the Secretariat around 11am on Monday.

Although they were supposed to meet with the health advisor, they instead met with Sayedur Rahman, the chief advisor’s special assistant.

Around 2pm, Abdullah Al Noman, a student of the K-79 batch of DMC, said they had a meeting with the ministry.

The students, who are protesting over five demands including a solution to the residence crisis, held a detailed discussion with Sayedur. However, they did not receive any clear guidance on the next steps.

Noman said, “We have been asked to wait for several matters including budget implementation time and alternative accommodation. However, we have not yet received clear instructions on how it is going to happen, which is why we are not returning to classes.

“We want this to be resolved quickly to avoid disruption to our academic activities. We want to return to classes.

“During our meeting, the wall of DMC’s Department of Anatomy collapsed. The situation necessary for us to return to classes has not yet been created.

“No decision has been made on where the anatomy department will shift.”

Nazmus Shakib, a student of the K-81 batch who participated in the meeting, told bdnews24.com: “The special assistant to the chief advisor has accepted the demands. Two other medical colleges will not need halls, and those will be given to Dhaka Medical College.

“The work will start after the approval of the upcoming ECNEC. He has assured me that the accommodation work for the new batch will start in July.

“We have a meeting with our principal tomorrow. If the meeting is fruitful, we will return to classes.”

Students demonstrated at Dhaka Medical College on Saturday morning as part of a 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 delivered that their demands would be accepted from the discussion. As such, they announced that they would continue the programme without leaving the hostel.