Medical technologists and pharmacy students on Monday staged a protest in front of the Directorate General of Health Service (DGHS), demanding a separate department and six other key demands.
The protest took place from morning until afternoon, with the demonstrators blocking the entrance to the Directorate by hanging a lock on the main gate.
As a result, no officials or employees could enter or exit the building.
The protest was later called off after the Director General (DG) of DGHS gave assurances to the protesters.
The protest was organized under the banner of the "Medical Technology and Pharmacy Chhatra Sangram Parishad."
The council warned that if their demands were not met, they would initiate a work abstain program.
During the protest, the demonstrators displayed placards with slogans such as "If you need blood, take blood, give us opportunities for higher education," among others.
The six main demands of the medical technologists and pharmacy students include: establishing a separate department for medical technologists; granting diploma holders a tenth-grade (second-class gazette) position and creating posts in line with the World Health Organization's proportional standards for quick recruitment. They also demanded the resumption of the 2013 recruitment process, which had been suspended. The other demands are also creating ninth-grade positions for graduate medical technologists and pharmacists and maintaining promotion systems based on proportional representation, including adhering to standard setups for recruitment, as well as integrating them into the Health Protection Act, transforming the Dhaka Institute of Health Technology (DIHT) into a university and developing independent career plans for medical technologist and pharmacist teachers in all health institutes, while also addressing inconsistencies in the current recruitment system and grades.
The establishment of a Medical Technology Council and a Diploma Medical Education Board, as well as the formulation of a private service policy.
They also called for the introduction of BSc and MSc courses for all faculties, including the B Pharm, along with scholarships and training allowances.
At 1pm, the DGHS DG Dr Md Abu Jafar, met with the protesters and assured them that a meeting would be arranged with the health advisor.
The protesters informed that a meeting with the health secretary was initially planned but had to be postponed due to his overseas trip.
The meeting is now scheduled for Thursday.
After the meeting, at around 2pm, the protesters unlocked the two gates of the Health Directorate and ended their blockade.
