Sunamganj Medical College unrest: Army charges baton to clear students blocking road
The students alleged several of their peers were injured during the intervention
Students of Sunamganj Medical College blocked the Sylhet-Sunamganj road for a second consecutive day today (20 April), protesting the delay in opening the newly constructed hospital and the lack of ward facilities needed for clinical education.
The students have also been boycotting classes indefinitely.
Around 10am, they set up bamboo barricades on both sides of the road near the college campus, causing significant traffic disruption.
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Police initially urged the students to clear the road, but when they refused, army personnel intervened around noon.
Tensions escalated, and the army reportedly used batons to disperse the students and restore traffic flow.
The students alleged several of their peers were injured during the intervention.
During the protest, an army officer was seen urging the students to shift their demonstration off the road and continue it from the roadside. However, the students remained defiant, prompting the army to resort to baton charges to disperse them.
Major Mezbah Uddin, who was at the scene, said while the army was sympathetic to the students' demands, the road blockade created unacceptable traffic congestion and sufferings.
"We requested the students to clear the road but they refused. Therefore, some force was used to move the students onto the campus," he said.
The official stated that there were no casualties during the incident.
Students said the hospital, despite being completed, is yet to begin operations, depriving them of essential clinical training. They are demanding that the hospital be made functional by June, clinical classes be arranged six days a week at the district hospital in the meantime, and transportation be provided.
According to them, previous assurances about resolving the issue have gone unfulfilled, prompting renewed protests.
College Principal Dr Mostaq Ahmed Bhoian said the administration has repeatedly raised the matter with the ministry and expressed hope for a government initiative to open the hospital soon.
Educational activities at Sunamganj Medical College began in 2021 on a temporary campus, later moving to a permanent site in 2023. Although a 500-bed hospital was scheduled to open in 2024, it remains non-operational despite the completion of its infrastructure.
