At least 20 people, mostly females, were injured in a baton charge by police while protesting in front of Sher-e-Bangla Medical College Hospital yesterday.
The injured were students of Barisal Institute of Health Technology, and they blocked the road in front of the hospital at noon as part of the protest called by Bangladesh Diploma Medical Technology and Pharmacy Students’ Association.
The association called the programme to press home its 10-point demand.
“We were protesting peacefully but police attacked us out of the blue around 12 at noon,” claimed Md Hossain, convener of the association.
Lamia Sultana, one of the injured, echoed Hossain, saying police beat up the girls for no apparent reason.
“We did nothing that could compel police to beat us,” she said.
Another protester Tonny Afroz harshly condemned the police action. She said a case should be filed against the law enforcers charging them with repression against women.
Police detained 14 students of the institute from the spot while the injured protesters were treated at the hospital.
Shakhawat Hossain, officer-in-charge of Kotwali police station, said police initially asked protesters not to keep the road blocked but they refused to comply and even hurled brick chips at law enforcers, leaving two injured.
“We were forced to resort to baton charge to disburse the crowd and also detained 14 for interrogation,” he added.
But Suborna, another injured student, said the road where the protest was staged was not busy in terms of volume of traffic.
“We have been protesting since last month and today’s protest was absolutely peaceful. But still police beat the protesters,” she said.
Golam Rouf, deputy commissioner of Barisal Metropolitan Police, said protesters cannot make people suffer to have their demands met by blocking roads.
“They must approach the authorities concerned and submit their demands,” he said.
Sonia Aktar, one of the protesters, said the 10-point demand includes forming a diploma medical education board, creating posts as per the guidelines of the World Health Organisation at public healthcare institutes, and introducing degree and master’s courses for pharmacists holding diploma degrees for enabling them to enjoy first-class status in public service.
