Students hold protest march and human chain amid complete shutdown at SBMC Barisal on third day on Wednesday since demanding end of major challenges in both education and healthcare due to shortage of teachers.
The administrative wing of the Sher-e-Bangla Medical College said out of the 334 posts of teachers in the college, 146 posts are full and remaining 188 posts are vacant.
Due to this, medical students are being deprived of quality classes and training, which the students believe will have a negative impact on the medical system in the future.
On Wednesday, a protest march was taken out from in front of the administrative-wing gate of academic building on the campus.
The protest march circled roads of the campus and ended at Band Road in front of the hospital.
Later, the students spoke at the human chain organized there.
At this time, the students said that although Sher-e-Bangla Medical College plays an important role as one of the leading medical educational institutions in the country.
It is currently facing major challenges in both education and healthcare due to teacher shortage.
Especially in the departments of Medicine, Microbiology, Pathology, Physiology, CCU, Gastroenterology Departments and even in the Dental Unit, teacher crisis has taken a serious shape.
The students said that they want teachers to be appointed to the vacant posts quickly and teachers who were transferred without any reason in the recent past to be brought back.
The students have locked the main gates of the college and hoisted banners of complete shutdown.
They have held a protest march forming human chain protesting the silent role of the Directorate of Health Education and senior officials in resolving the teacher crisis issue at SBMC.
Students said earlier on Monday, they officially submitted a memorandum to the college administration and the Directorate General of Health Services about their demands.
But so far, the DG of the Directorate General of Health Services has not taken any initiative.
Our program will continue until their logical demands such as resolving the teacher crisis issue are met, said SBMC student Naimur Rahman Naeem.
He told all academic activities including classes and exams are closed in the SBMC due to the program on the teacher crisis issue.
If the professional examination of the dental faculty on Monday and the admission test of that faculty on February 28 are disrupted, the higher authorities will have to take responsibility, he cautioned.
Meanwhile, on Wednesday morning, it was seen that students had taken a position outside the principal's office due to the program.
And the teachers were standing outside, seeing the main gates locked.
Associate Professor of the Department of Neonatology Dr Bidhan Chandra Biswas said: "Due to the students' movement, we could not go to the college in the morning and had to stand outside."
"However, their demands are reasonable. Teachers are needed for good education. We hope that the government will take initiatives to resolve the teacher crisis quickly," the teacher added.
Admitting the teacher crisis, SBMC Principal Dr Faizul Bashar said: "The demands of the students are reasonable and we have spoken to the ministry about their demands. Efforts are being made to resolve the problem quickly."
