Students of Dhaka Medical College (DMC) staged a sit-in protest demanding the immediate cancellation and re-publication of the medical admission results, citing alleged discrimination due to the quota system. The protest began at 9:00 AM at the Shaheed Minar, where students chanted slogans such as, “Cancel the results immediately,” “Quota or merit—merit, merit,” and “No room for inequality in our Golden Bengal.”
At 11:30 AM, the protesters issued an ultimatum, demanding the abolition of the quota system and the re-publication of the results by the end of the day. The demonstration saw participation from medical and dental students, doctors, and representatives from other educational institutions, all united under various banners.
The protesting students warned of a larger nationwide movement if their demands were not met. “If necessary, students from all medical colleges across the country will join this movement. This is not something to be taken lightly,” said one of the demonstrators. Several doctors and educators from various hospitals and medical colleges also expressed solidarity with the movement.
Professor Abdul Wahab from a private medical college in Dhaka voiced his support, stating, “Many have been admitted scoring only 40 or 41, while others with double those marks have been denied admission. Is this not discrimination?” Addressing the students, he added, “Since you have taken to the streets, you must secure your rights from here. All quotas must be abolished, and the results re-published immediately. I stand in solidarity with your demands.”
Former coordinator of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, Mahin Sarkar, also joined the protest in solidarity. He remarked, “Even in post-uprising Bangladesh, we are witnessing unjust quota practices in medical admissions. Some scoring 72 have not been admitted, while others scoring 40 have. Similar irrational quotas, like the one for descendants of university staff, persist at Dhaka University. We demand the results be re-published without delay.”
Dohar, a DMC student, commented, “There was no justification for this type of discriminatory practice in medical admissions, especially after a successful movement against such inequalities.”
Nuru Gani Sagir, a student of Kabi Jasim Uddin Hall, criticized the continuation of such policies, stating, “The blood of 2024’s protests has not dried yet, and already we are facing another discriminatory policy implementation. Despite all the sacrifices, we are being forced to take to the streets again.”
Addressing advisors Asif Mahmud and Nahid Islam, Sagir added, “Thousands of our brothers were injured and martyred at your call. It was to fulfill their demands that you were made advisors. If you cannot understand the language of the students, you do not belong in that position. Why must we take to the streets again to demand the abolition of quotas while you remain in your posts?”
The protesters pledged to continue their movement until their demands are met, emphasizing the need for equality and merit-based admission in the medical sector.
