Students of Medical Assistant Training Schools (MATS) have been staging a sit-in at Shahbagh in the capital today, demanding the implementation of four demands, including recruitment to vacant positions in the 10th grade and the creation of employment opportunities.
Their other demands include abolishing the Health Professionals Board and forming a new regulatory body named the Medical Education Board of Bangladesh, ensuring higher education opportunities in clinical subjects aligned with the MATS curriculum, and renaming Medical Assistant Training School (MATS) to Medical Institute.
Around 11:00am, nearly 300 students gathered in front of the National Museum at Shahbagh under the banner of the General MATS Students' Unity Council to take part in the long march towards Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS). But they took position on the road instead of moving towards the DGHS.
MATS students have occupied the road leading from Shahbagh towards the Dhaka University campus, but traffic movement on the main road in Shahbagh remains uninterrupted, said Shahbagh Police Station Officer-in-Charge Khaled Monsur.
MATS students announced the long march programme as the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has failed to implement their demands within seven working days, despite a written commitment made on January 22.
Md Sakib Mahmud, coordinator of the General MATS Students' Unity Council, said, "Even after the July Revolution for anti-discrimination in Bangladesh, MATS students continue to face discrimination. On January 22, we held a mass gathering at Shahbagh, and at that time, the health ministry committed in writing to address our demands within seven working days. Since they have not taken any sincere action, we had no choice but to initiate this long march."
MATS students said that there are more than 15,000 students studying at 17 government and over 200 private MATS institutions nationwide. They announced the long march through a press release yesterday and vowed to continue their demonstration until their demands are met.
source: The daily star