Nursing Students Stage Shutdown Seeking Structured Reform
Demanding a monthly internship allowance of BDT 20,000, a distinct career path, and merit-based teacher recruitment, students of Dhaka Nursing College have initiated an indefinite “complete shutdown” program. As part of the ongoing movement, students staged a demonstration on Sunday (May 4) at the Central Shaheed Minar, where over a hundred students joined a human chain, holding placards.
The students alleged that long-standing issues such as a disorganized curriculum, unqualified teacher recruitment, and lack of professional recognition have plunged them into deep uncertainty about their future. In particular, the frequent postponement or cancellation of scheduled examinations has stirred intense frustration among the students.
Announcing that the protest would continue, the demonstrators warned that they would escalate to a nationwide sit-in if their demands remain unaddressed. Earlier on Saturday morning, students held a protest rally as part of the shutdown in front of Dhaka Nursing College, located within Dhaka Medical College Hospital.
During the rally, Mohib Ullah, President of the Dhaka Nursing College Students’ Welfare Organization, delivered a written statement. Among those present were Md. Azizur Rahman Rifat, President of the college's male dormitory committee, and several general students.
The protesters said that since the "July Uprising," they have been submitting memorandums to the interim government, the latest being on August 21. “Yet, the government has taken no initiative,” they said, adding, “Another memorandum will be submitted to the Chief Adviser today (Sunday).”
According to the written statement, “The profession has been turned into a circus by directly appointing individuals with 30–40 years of hospital experience as lecturers, bypassing all regulatory frameworks. These actions disregard the National Education Policy 2010, the Nursing Recruitment Policy 2016, the policies of affiliated universities, and the University Grants Commission’s regulations. A certain group has long held the profession hostage by sheer muscle power.”
The students reiterated their seven-point demand at the protest. These include teacher recruitment based strictly on merit following UGC and university rules, direct first-class government jobs for graduate nurses, a separate organogram and career plan for BSc nurses, implementation of the 2016 recruitment policy, universal internship allowance of BDT 20,000, and a standard policy for private nursing colleges nationwide.
They also demanded the initiation of the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program and urged that those with equivalent degrees be allowed to pursue master's degrees from recognized universities, thereby equating them with BSN graduates. Additionally, they called for merging all students enrolled under the subpar post-2018 curriculum with those under the 2008 curriculum.
