Strike hits problem-plagued Dinajpur Medical College

Students staged a sit-in in front of the administrative building at Dinajpur Medical College yesterday to press their 5-point demand. PHOTO: STAR

Students locked all classrooms and the administrative building on Saturday and declared an indefinite strike on the campus demanding adequate number of teachers and other academic facilities, which, they claimed, are too poor to the needs.

The students staged sit-in in front of the administrative building and held rallies and processions on the campus yesterday and the day before to press their five-point demand for academic facilities including proper library and laboratory facilities and transport for non-resident students.

Tap here to add The Daily Star as a trusted source

Officials and employees of the college also began an indefinite strike yesterday demanding four months' arrears salary.

On Saturday, the employees brought out a procession on the campus to press their demand.

There are 309 students and 150 employees at the college.

"We came here from different districts for studies but we are deprived", Raihan, a 3rd year student said talking to this correspondent "We are also medical students like others at Rajshahi and Rangpur medical colleges. They are getting facilities but we are deprived and our academic life is being affected", he said.

When contacted, college Principal Dr Saiful Bari said he sent proposals to the health ministry and gave reminders several times to resolve the problems, but to no effect.

On April 5, the students at a press conference in Dinajpur had declared that they would start tougher agitation if their five-point demand is not met by April 8.

They had said that all their demands are for academic facilities, there is nothing political. But the authorities did nothing to ensure those.

On investigation, it was gathered that the Dinajpur Medical College is plagued by problems, teacher shortage being the main.

Against 116 posts, there are 58 teachers on roll, 16 of them now on study leave.

Set up in 1991 on about 25 acres of land, the medical college started its first academic session in 1992-1993 with Anatomy, Physiology, Biochemistry, Pharmacology and Micro-Biology departments. But academic performance in most of the departments is very poor due to lock of teachers and other facilities.

Physiology, Biochemistry and Pharmacology departments run only with one professor and one Assistant Professor each. There is only one Professor in Microbiology department. Each of the departments should heave at least seven teachers including a Professor and an Associate Professor, sources at the college said.

There was only teacher in Anatomy department, who is in jail now in connection with the death of a domestic help in his house last month.

Talking to this correspondent, some of the students said classes were held irregularly due to lack of teachers.

Same is the condition of the laboratory and the library, where the facilities are too inadequate to the needs.

Moreover there is negligence by teachers because of the poor facilities, they alleged.

Talking to this correspondent, the principal also acknowledged the acute shortage of teachers and other facilities.