Photo: Collected
Postgraduate private trainee doctors blocked all four points at Dhaka's Shahbagh intersection this morning (29 December) causing severe gridlock in surrounding roads. The protesting doctors, under the banner Doctors' Movement for Justice (DMJ), blocked the busy intersection from around 11am, demanding increasing their monthly allowance to Tk 50,000 from Tk 25,000.
Doctors claim that we have been protesting on the streets for a long time. "We have gone to every authority. We were forced to take to the streets without getting a solution. Can you deny the contribution of doctors? Doctors have played a role on the streets and have also served day and night in hospitals," said one of the protestors.
AB Party Convener Professor Major Dr Abdul Wahab Minar (retd), who was present at the rally, expressed solidarity with the doctors and said, "If there is disagreement among us, the demands cannot be met. We will remain on the streets until the demands are met.
At that time, DMJ General Secretary Dr Nurunnabi said, "The longer the delay in fulfilling the demands, the more united we will be, the more we will gain strength. There is no point in pressuring us. Think about how to issue a notification soon. We are not anyone's agents."
They also took to the streets last week as well with the same demand, following which the Finance Division on 23 December issued a notification increasing the gratuity allowance rate of unpaid trainees who have passed the first phase of FCPS of Bangladesh College of Physicians and Surgeons (BCPS).
It said the existing monthly gratuity allowance was increased by 20% from Tk25,000 to Tk30,000, effective from 24 December.
However, the trainee doctors rejected the hike immediately and demanded an increase to Tk50,000. Protests had started at 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 had even laid a siege to the BSMMU vice-chancellor's offices, demanding the 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 doctors and they continued their protests intermittently since July, a flare-up of which is being seen today.
Messenger/JRTarek
