Prospective medical college students, who have been calling for a fresh admission test on grounds of question leak, have announced their next steps that include submitting a memorandum to the prime minister.
Md Khaled Saifullah, spokesperson for Student-parents Oikya Andolon who announced fresh programmes yesterday evening, said a sit-in would be staged at Shaheed Minar today, and the protest would also include a mass signature collection campaign and a satirical cartoon exhibition.
“On Sunday, we will march towards the Prime Minister’s Office to hand over a memorandum,” he said.
Yesterday’s protest began around 5pm when students gathered in front of the National Museum in the capital’s Shahbagh.
Gonoshasthaya Kendra founder Dr Zafrullah Chowdhury, columnist Syed Abul Maksud, Professor Anu Muhammad, Zonayed Saki and Gonojagoron Moncho spokesperson Imran H Sarker went there to express solidarity with the demonstrators.
They said the government was not only refusing to pay heed to the protesters’ demand but was also trying to obstruct them using the police, adding that the government should accept the demand of the students.
They also alleged that RAB killed the University Grants Commission’s suspended official, Omar Siraj, to protect the real culprits, and called for an official inquiry into Omar’s death.
In Rajshahi, police foiled a protest of medical college aspirants in front of Rajshahi Medical College around 10am, reports our Rajshahi correspondent.
Law enforcement officials forcefully took away banners and festoons from the protesters, who later announced that a rally would be held in front of the medical college this morning.
Meanwhile, the authorities of Dhaka Medical College, Sir Salimullah Medical College and Sher-e-Bangla Medical College said they would follow the regular admission process if no circular was issued by the government.
On September 18, some 83,000 students took the medical admission test and a total of 48,448 passed.
