Medical Assistant Training School (MATS) students have blocked Shahbagh intersection in the capital, Dhaka, demanding action on four key issues, including access to higher education and immediate recruitment to vacant positions for Sub-Assistant Community Medical Officers (SACMO). They have warned that they will not leave the area unless their demands are met.
The protest began at around 11 a.m. on Sunday, February 9, after the students gathered at Farmgate and marched toward Shahbagh. The students are calling for the implementation of promises made earlier and to address longstanding grievances related to their education and employment.
Ahmadullah Mansur, the central coordinator of the General MATS Students Unity Council, explained that despite the July uprising aimed at ending inequality, MATS students have still not seen an end to their ongoing discrimination. On January 22, the students gathered at Shahbagh with four demands, and the Secretary of the Ministry of Health had promised in writing to fulfill these demands within seven working days. However, no visible action has been taken, and the students accuse the Ministry and other relevant departments of not acting with sincerity.
Mansur further stated that the responsibility for this movement lies with the Ministry of Health, the Directorate of Health Education, the Directorate General of Health Services, the Directorate of Family Planning, and the Bangladesh Medical Education Faculty.
Currently, there are 16 government-run MATS and nearly 200 private MATS institutions offering Diploma in Medical Assistance (DMA) courses across Bangladesh. According to the latest data from Bangladesh Education Statistics 2022 and the Bangladesh Medical and Dental Council (BMDC), there are approximately 60,000 diploma medical students in the country, with 30,000 registered as DMA professionals.
The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare reports that about 5,500 diploma doctors are currently serving as Sub-Assistant Community Medical Officers in various health facilities such as Upazila Health Complexes, Union Sub-Health Centers, and District Hospitals. However, the students argue that the recruitment process has been stalled for over a decade, leaving around 50,000 skilled graduates unemployed, with 2,500 vacant SACMO positions unfilled.
The MATS students’ four main demands include:
- Provision of higher education opportunities in line with the government’s First Five-Year Plan of 1973-78.
- Immediate recruitment to vacant SACMO positions and the creation of new posts for MATS graduates in community clinics and both public and private hospitals.
- Restoration of the four-year academic course along with a one-year internship, and correction of the inconsistent course curriculum.
- Cancellation of the proposed Allied Health Professional Education Board and the establishment of a new board named the “Medical Education Board of Bangladesh.”
The students have vowed to continue their protest until their demands are met.
