Staff Reporter:
In a rare move, the authorities of Dhaka Medical College (DMC) on Saturday declared the institu-tion closed for an indefinite period, following an ongoing deadlock between students and admin-istration over urgent renovation and infrastructure demands.
A formal notice, signed by DMC Principal Dr Md Kamrul Alam, announced that the closure will take effect from Sunday (June 22).
The announcement comes after weeks of unrest on campus, with students boycotting classes since May 28 to press home a five-point demand centring on hazardous accommodation and stalled de-velopment projects.
According to the notice, all students have been instructed to vacate their dormitories by 12 noon Sunday. However, professional MBBS examinees and foreign students have been exempted from the directive.
The decision to halt academic operations was taken during an emergency meeting of the college’s academic council on Saturday.
Principal Kamrul Alam explained the rationale behind the move, “Students have been asked to vacate the halls for a short period to avoid any potential risks. It is not possible to implement reno-vation demands so quickly. Therefore, until an alternative arrangement is made, the directive to leave the halls remains in effect.”
He went on to say, “A few times in the past, the halls were closed due to clashes between groups or for other reasons. But this is the first time it’s happening due to renovation demands. The orien-tation program has also been boycotted, which is deeply unfortunate. It’s something students usu-ally look forward to, yet this time they chose to boycott it. I believe they might have been incited to do so.”
Students, however, are refusing to leave. Many have criticized the closure as an evasion of ac-countability and a disregard for their living conditions.
1. The protesting students have laid out five key demands:
2. Urgent approval of a budget for constructing a new dormitory and female hall.
3. Immediate alternative housing arrangements until new accommodations are completed.
4. A separate budget for the construction of a new academic building. And
5. Prompt and visible action following the passing of separate budgets for all required facilities.
