Police obstruct medical students, interns' march toward High Court
Their key demands include limiting the use of the title "doctor" exclusively to MBBS and BDS degree holders
Law enforcement authorities obstructed a march by intern doctors and medical students at the High Court gate around 12:30pm today (25 February).
Hundreds of students and interns from both government and private medical colleges had begun their "March for Justice" programme from the Central Shaheed Minar at around 12:15pm.
Khalid Mansur, officers-in-charge (OC) of Shahbagh police station told The Business Standard that intern doctors and medical students stayed at the High Court gate while a representative team entered the court premises.
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Their key demands include limiting the use of the title "doctor" exclusively to MBBS and BDS degree holders.
The demonstration was sparked by a longstanding dispute over the designation, with protesters alleging that medical assistants have been unlawfully using the "doctor" title. They pointed to a 2013 writ petition filed by medical assistants seeking legal recognition for the title, which remains unresolved after 11 years.
With the High Court set to issue an order on the matter today, the demonstrators called for a swift resolution to prevent what they described as misuse of the designation.
Alongside their primary demand, the protesters are also advocating for the immediate recruitment of 10,000 doctors and an increase in the BCS job entry age limit to 34 years, Redirecting MATS students to paramedics, and effective implementation of the Doctor Protection Act.
Earlier on 23 February, interns at Rajshahi Medical College Hospital (RMCH), Chittagong Medical College Hospital (CMCH) and Shaheed Ziaur Rahman Medical College Hospital (SZRMCH) in Bogura launched a complete work stoppage to press five demands, disrupting services at the facility.
