Medical Assistant Training School (MATS) students have staged a sit-in outside the National Press Club with a four-point demand that includes recruitment in vacant 10th-grade positions and creating more employment opportunities.
The students took position there under the banner of the General MATS Student Unity Council around 6am this morning (10 February) and said they would begin an indefinite hunger strike from noon if their demands were not met.
Their four-point demand also includes overhauling their course curriculum, renaming their institution to a medical institute, and establishing an independent Medical Education Board of Bangladesh. Earlier yesterday (9 February), the MATS students blocked the Shahbagh intersection as part of a pre-announced long march programme.
round 2pm that day, the personal officer of the health adviser, Tuhin Farabi, met the demonstrators and urged them to send a representative to the Ministry of Health for discussions. He also told the students that a circular would be issued on Monday (10 February) or Tuesday (11 February) regarding the appointment of vacant posts as per the demands.
Tuhin said there is a plan to gradually appoint a total of 800 vacant posts and that the issue of the students’ demand for 10th grade has already been sent to the Ministry of Public Administration. Following this, a five-member delegation from the students went to the health ministry in the afternoon to discuss their demands with the health adviser.
Around 3pm, the student representatives entered the ministry, accompanied by the adviser’s personal officer. Despite ongoing discussions, tensions escalated as students remaining at Shahbagh attempted to break through police barricades to reach the Secretariat. Around 4:30pm yesterday, when the demonstrators tried to advance from Shahbagh, police chased them near the High Court area and used batons to disperse the march.