Medical admission: Protest erupts over quota system
DU Correspondent :
Students from Dhaka Medical College, Salimullah Medical College, and other educational institutions protested on Monday against the quota system for children and grandchildren of freedom fighters in the medical college entry examination.
Organised at the Central Shaheed Minar, the sit-in protest called for the immediate cancellation of the results and the publication of a new list after abolishing the freedom fighters’ quota. Students from Dhaka University also expressed solidarity with the protest.
The protesters, expressing anger and despair, stated that despite the uprisings in July and the bloodshed by their fellow students over the quota reform movement, the inclusion of the freedom fighters’ quota was illogical and regretful for the heroes of the July movement.
The 2024-25 admission results were published on Sunday, with a total of 60,095 candidates passing the examination for 5,380 seats in both government and private medical colleges.
The result revealed that candidates with the freedom fighters’ quota passed the exam with only 41 marks, while others who had no quota failed despite scoring 71.
Prof. Dr. Major Abdul Wahab (rtd) expressed solidarity with the students, stating, “Yesterday, many candidates with 40 or 41 marks got admitted, while others who scored double that couldn’t. Isn’t this discrimination?”
He advised the students, “Since you have learned to protest, continue fighting for your rights from the streets.”
Doha, a student at Dhaka Medical College, said, “After the July movement demanding the abolition of discrimination, there was no need for this kind of biased treatment in the medical admission exam.
When the passing mark is 40, how can someone with 37 or 38 marks get into medical college? We want an end to this discrimination now.”
Jannatun Nuha, a student at Salimullah Medical College, stated, “Most patient deaths are due to wrong treatment by doctors. But how can we produce good doctors if unqualified candidates are admitted through the quota system?”
Mahin Sarkar, coordinator of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, expressed solidarity with the medical students, saying, “Even after the 24th movement in Bangladesh, we still see irrational quotas being implemented in medical colleges. Some students who scored 72 marks didn’t get admission, while others with 40 marks did.
Moreover, irrational quotas like the ‘dependents’ quota still exist at Dhaka University. We demand the immediate re-publication of the medical admission results and the abolition of all types of irrational quotas in all universities and medical admission exams.”
Earlier, a group of students from Dhaka Medical College, Dhaka University, and the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology staged a protest rally at the Central Shaheed Minar on Sunday night demanding these reforms.
