Photo: Collected
Postgraduate trainee doctors at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) and other private hospitals have boycotted their work and gathered at Shahbagh Intersection, demanding a hike in their monthly allowance.
"The protest, which started around 1:30pm today, stopped vehicular movement in the Shahbagh area, causing immense pain for commuters," said Assistant Commissioner of traffic police (Shahbagh Zone) Mehedi Hasan Shakil.
Currently, intern doctors get Tk25,000 per month as allowance. They want the amount to be increased to Tk50,000 as prices of essentials have increased, said a protesting intern. Adding that the movement has been running for three years now, the intern doctor added the previous government did not pay heed to their demands.
"The Awami League government tried to foil our movement by putting the tag of Jamaat-Shibir on us. The administration has to quickly accept our demands and publish a circular in this regard," added the intern doctor seeking anonymity.
The intern doctor further said the sit-in protest will continue until their demands are met. Later, a six-member representative team of the intern doctors went to the Secretariat to discuss the issue, where they said new programmes would be announced if their demands remain unfulfilled.
Intern doctors started their protest in the beginning of this year demanding an increase in salaries of intern doctors from Tk20,000 to Tk30,000 and the salary of postgraduate private trainee doctors to Tk50,000.
On 13 June, postgraduate doctors of the hospital laid siege to the vice-chancellor's offices, demanding an increase in allowance.
Then a couple of days later, their salary was increased by Tk5,000 by the authorities. However, this did not appease the interns and they continued their protests intermittently since July, a flare up of which was seen today.
Messenger/JRTarek
