Chief Gate of National Medical College Vandalized
- Update Time : 10:29:52 am, Sunday, 24 November 2024
- / 454 Time View
A student protest erupted in Old Dhaka on Sunday, November 24, following the alleged death by medical negligence of Abhijit Hawlader, an HSC student from Dr. Mahbubur Rahman Mollah College. Protesters accused the National Medical College Hospital of attempting to cover up the incident with a bribe of 10,000 taka. The situation escalated around 12:45 PM when students blocked the main gate of the hospital and vandalized property, including the nameplate and gate.
Approximately 2,000 to 2,500 students from Dr. Mahbubur Rahman Mollah College, Dhaniya College, and other nearby institutions gathered at the hospital entrance, chanting slogans and demanding justice. Additional law enforcement personnel were deployed to manage the unrest, which continued as clashes broke out between students and locals. Tear gas was reportedly used to disperse the protesters.
Abhijit, who had been admitted to the hospital with dengue fever, passed away on November 18, two days after his admission. Students allege that the hospital management tried to suppress the matter by labeling him as drug-dependent and offering the family a bribe.
On a previous protest two days after Abhijit’s death, students claimed they were attacked by locals and students from other colleges, such as Kabi Nazrul College and Suhrawardy College. Following those events, students regrouped and returned to the hospital to express their anger, leading to the destruction of hospital property.
