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Published : 21 Jun 2025, 04:05 PM
Students of Dhaka Medical College have rejected the authorities’ order to vacate their residential halls, declaring they will remain on campus until their housing-related demands are met.
On Saturday, the college was declared closed indefinitely, with a directive for all students to leave their halls by Sunday noon.
The order came amid a month-long class boycott over demands including safe and permanent accommodation.
Protesters formed a human chain on campus the same day.
By evening, students made it clear they would not comply.
“We will not vacate the halls,” Mohammad Nafis Rafid of the K-81 batch told bdnews24.com on Saturday evening.
“The authorities are trying to suppress our movement by clearing the halls. We will stay until our demands are fulfilled.”
He added, “If the motive behind vacating the halls is to introduce a new budget, build temporary sheds and begin new hall construction, we welcome that.
“But if it’s an attempt to kill the protest, we reject it. Based on the sequence of events, the latter seems more likely.”
Nafis also accused the principal of making “false claims” in Saturday’s media statement.
According to the student, “He [Principal Kamrul Alam] claimed students were staying on the fourth floor even after it was marked unsafe. That’s misleading.
“He also said alternative housing has been arranged, which is not true. He wrote that the K-82 batch skipped orientation under someone’s influence. We reject these statements.”
Another student, Nazsub Sakib, reiterated the stance, saying they would not leave unless all five demands were met.
He also called for a visit from the Health Advisor Nurjahan Begum.
“The health advisor or ministry officials must visit and see our condition firsthand. That is our decision.”
Attempts to reach Principal Kamrul Alam for a response to these allegations were unsuccessful.
The college administration said the decision to close was made during an emergency Academic Council meeting on Saturday.
A notice, signed by Principal Kamrul, the students had long been raising concerns about the “deteriorating condition” of the college’s academic buildings and halls, which had led to a standstill in academic activities.
It added the council agreed with the students’ demands and was working closely with the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and the Directorate General of Medical Education (DGME).
Some actions had already been taken, the notice read, though students continued to insist on a visible timeline for outcomes.
Public Works Department has declared the fourth floor of the Dr Fazle Rabbi Hall unsafe.
Officials claimed alternative housing was offered, but student “non-cooperation” prevented evacuation.
The notice warned that continued occupation posed a “serious risk” to life, and criticised the new K-82 batch for boycotting orientation --calling it a “dark chapter” in the college’s history.
It said this had added to the disruption of academic operations.
All MBBS classes have been suspended “indefinitely” from Sunday.
Foreign students and those sitting for university professional MBBS examinations will be exempt from this directive, the principal confirmed.
PROTEST
The DMC students demonstrated on campus Saturday morning, pressing five-point demand for safer campus and secure housing.
Shamim Ahmed, a resident student of the Dr Fazle Rabbi Hall, said: “We’ve been suffering from housing-related issues for a long time. Neither of the two halls is liveable.
“A few days ago, chunks of plaster from the ceiling of our hall fell off. We don’t feel safe staying there.”
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.
