Trainee Doctors Block Shahbagh, Traffic Halted
Postgraduate trainee doctors from Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) and BCPS are protesting by blocking the Shahbagh intersection in Dhaka, demanding a pay raise.
As a result, traffic has been halted on the road since Sunday noon.
The doctors have been holding this protest since Sunday (December 22) noon. They demand their stipend, currently at 25,000 BDT (9th grade) per month, be increased to 50,000 BDT. Earlier, they had set a deadline of noon for a government notification to be issued regarding the stipend increase. As their demands were not met, these postgraduate trainee doctors resumed their strike across the country.
In the morning, starting from 10 am, private postgraduate trainee doctors gathered at the Bot Tola area of BSMMU and chanted slogans. The information was shared by the protesting doctors' organization, "Doctors' Movement for Justice Society (DMJS)."
The protesting doctors, claiming to have been fighting for their rights since 2022, said they would not leave until they receive credible assurances. Their movement will continue until their demands are met.
During the protest, the doctors carried placards with various slogans, such as "How can we survive on Tk25,000 with rising commodity prices?" and "Our only demand: a minimum wage of Tk50,000."
The Doctors Movement for Justice Society has stated that they, along with their affiliate organization, the Postgraduate Private Trainee Doctors Association (PPTDA), have been protesting for an increase in stipends for private postgraduate doctors since 2022. The protest continues as their demands remain unmet.
Shahbagh Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Mohammad Khalid Mansur said the doctors blocked the Shahbagh intersection around 1:30 pm. "We are making every effort to persuade them to clear the road," he added. The blockade has caused a complete halt to traffic at this critical point in the capital, the OC confirmed.
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