The agitating students of Dhaka Medical College (DMC) on Saturday decided not to leave the halls, but took a fresh vow to continue the movement until their demands, including urgent action to resolve their ongoing accommodation crisis, are met.
They also termed the authorities’ decision to stop academic activities and drive out all students from their halls without any discussion with them as completely unreasonable and unilitaral.
“We stood up for our justified demands, it is not unreasonable,” said a group of students when the authorities concerned declared the DMC closed for an indefinite period amid an ongoing movement.
The DCM students began protesting on 28 May by boycotting classes and examinations with five demands related to campus safety and accommodation. From 6 June, they began an indefinite boycott.
As the protest took an intensified turn, DMC Principal Prof Md Kamrul Alam, issuing a notice this noon, asked all students to vacate their dormitories by 12:00 pm on Sunday.
However, foreign students and those appearing for professional MBBS examinations will remain out of the purview of the directive.
The decision was taken at an emergency academic council meeting, the notice said, adding that all academic activities for MBBS students will remain suspended until further notice.
Their key demands include alternative arrangements for the abandoned dormitories, budget allocation for new dormitories and academic buildings and the inclusion of student representatives to ensure transparency in project implementation.
Earlier, the protesting students warned of suspending academic activities themselves if their demands were not met.
