Students of 14 colleges in the capital vandalized National Medical College Hospital in Old Dhaka following the alleged death of Avijit Hawlader, a student of Dr Mahbubur Rahman Molla College, due to medical negligence. The incident took place around 12:45pm on Sunday.
The colleges involved include Dr Mahbubur Rahman Molla College, Dhanmondi Ideal College, Dhaka College, Govt Science College, Giasuddin Islamic Model College, Govt Tolaram College, Tejgaon Govt College, Dhonia College, Birshreshtha Munshi Abdur Rouf Public College, St Gregory's School and College, Shamsul Haque Khan School and College, Birshreshtha Noor Mohammad Public College, Sheikh Borhanuddin Post Graduate Degree College, and Cambrian School and College.
Around 2,500 students gathered in front of the hospital, chanting slogans vandalised the hospital's signboard and main gate.
Witnesses stated that the students, armed with sticks, began their demonstration after 12:30pm. Unable to access the hospital due to locked main gate, the students started vandalizing the premises. Law enforcement officials tried to calm the situation, but the students chanted "fraud, fraud" against the hospital.
The students alleged that Avijit Hawlader, who had been admitted to the hospital for dengue treatment, died two days later on November 18 due to medical negligence. They further claimed that the hospital authorities attempted to suppress the matter by offering Tk 10,000 to the victim's family and accused the deceased of being a drug addict, which the students denounced as false and baseless.
Three days after the death, students staged a protest, but they were allegedly attacked by students from Kabi Nazrul College and Suhrawardy College, along with local residents. Tear gas was also fired by the police to disperse them.
In continuation of that protest, students from neighbouring colleges gathered again on Sunday and vandalized the hospital. Five students were reportedly injured during the incident.
Taz, a student of Dhanmondi Ideal College, told the Daily Observer "One of our fellow students came here for dengue treatment but died due to medical negligence. The hospital accused him of being a drug addict, which is an outright lie. On November 21, when we protested, students from Kabi Nazrul College and Suhrawardy College attacked us, siding with the hospital. They have become our adversaries. How can students attack fellow students? In response, students from 14 colleges gathered here today to protest and take action."
