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They warn of indefinite hunger strike if demands are not met
Published : 09 Feb 2025, 06:04 PM
Students of Medical Assistant Training School will stage a sit-in at Dhaka’s Central Shaheed Minar until 12pm on Monday to press home their four-point list of demands.
Mujahidul Islam, central coordinator of the General MATS Students' Unity Council, announced the fresh programme at a press conference near Dhaka University’s Raju Memorial Sculpture on Sunday evening.
He said the health ministry had assured them on Sunday that their demands would be addressed, including a promise to release recruitment notifications within three days. However, no decision has been made on the other three demands.
"It [health ministry] hasn’t set any deadline. That’s why we have decided not to leave our sit-in programme. We will stay at Shaheed Minar overnight and wait until 12pm [on Monday].
“If our demands are not met within this time, we will begin an indefinite hunger strike."
Mujahidul alleged that police attacked students while they were heading towards the National Press Club as their delegation was attending a meeting at the health ministry at Advisor Nurjahan Begum’s invitation.
“Around 60 students were seriously injured in the attack, with a total of nearly 120 students injured. Many have been hospitalised.
“We strongly condemn the attack on our students. The same police who attacked us are the ones who used force and fired on the Anti-discrimination Student Movement during the 'fascist' regime of Hasina.
He concluded, “We demand the identification and prosecution of those responsible for this attack.”
MATS students have been agitating for a long time, demanding immediate appointments to vacant positions in 10th-grade positions, employment opportunities and positions at government and private levels, curriculum revisions and one-year internships with allowances while maintaining the four-year academic course, the cancellation of the proposed Allied Health Professional Board and the formation of a board called “Medical Education Board of Bangladesh”, and higher education opportunities in clinical subjects recognised by international standards and the BM&DC.
On Jan 22, MATS students blocked the Shahbagh intersection to press for their demands, halting traffic in the area throughout the day.
They later cleared the roads following assurances from the health ministry.
Claiming that no action was taken in the promised seven-day timeframe, students resumed demonstrations at 11am on Sunday, staging a sit-in outside the National Museum.
This caused the road leading out of Dhaka University to be blocked. The students said they would march towards the ministry from there.
Around 2pm, Tuhin Farabi, an aide to the health advisor, arrived at the scene to talk with the demonstrators.
Following discussions, he and several representatives from the General MATS Students' Unity Council went to the Secretariat.
While the meeting was under way, students at Shahbagh attempted to march towards the health ministry.
At 4:45pm, police blocked their path outside the Shikkha Bhaban. As the students attempted to break through the barricade, police baton-charged them and detonated a stun grenade.
Chased by police, the protesting students dispersed towards the Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh from the Kadam Fountain via Matsya Bhaban.
They then took positions near the Press Club, Raju Sculpture, and Shahbagh.
