Intern Hall ‘Occupied’ for 2 Years; Suhrawardy Students Boycott Exams Over Housing Crisis

Even two years after the construction of the 10-storey intern hall at Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College & Hospital (SHSMCH) in the capital, no benefits have been seen. Due to the temporary camp of law enforcement agencies in the hall, intern doctors are staying in the students’ hostels of the college. As a result, there is not enough space, and students of the 2024-25 session are forced to live crowded in mass rooms.

Meanwhile, due to the long-standing accommodation crisis not being resolved, students have boycotted the ongoing second term oral examinations. They have already boycotted three out of five examinations, and today, Thursday (16 April), they are scheduled to boycott the fourth one as well. As a result, the academic activities of one batch of the institution have almost come to a standstill.

Upon inquiry, it is known that Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College, established in 2006, has two six-storey residential halls. Both halls were inaugurated in 2008. However, compared to that time, the annual number of students at the institution has increased. As a result, these two halls are no longer sufficient.

For the accommodation of the hospital’s intern doctors, a 10-storey multipurpose hall was constructed nearby. Although construction was completed in 2024, intern doctors have not been able to move in yet. After the July Mass Uprising, the Bangladesh Army established a temporary camp in the building to maintain law and order in the adjacent Mohammadpur area. But even after almost two years, the camp has not been withdrawn. As a result, intern doctors are staying in the general students’ halls.

Horrific Mass Room Situation

On Wednesday (15 April), a visit to the Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College campus revealed that the two halls are older compared to the relatively new academic building. After the July Mass Uprising, students renamed their hall ‘July-24 Hall.’

Talking to the students, it was learned that every year 200 to 250 students are admitted to the medical college. In the 2024-25 session, over a hundred students were admitted. Of them, 88 are staying in the hall, but 48 of them are living in two mass rooms.

Students said there are two mass rooms on the first and second floors of the six-storey building. Basically, the common room, game room, and prayer space are being used as mass rooms.

When asked, Arafat Yasin, a student of SH-20 batch (2024-25 session), told The Daily Campus, “We came to campus on 17 June last year. We are the first in the history of Suhrawardy to move into mass rooms. We have been in this situation since then. We have knocked on the authorities many times. They repeatedly say they will solve it, but there has been no solution yet.” He said, “Our 13th and 14th batches, whose internship ended one and a half years ago, are still staying in the hall. After internship ends, there is a 6-month allowance to stay. Since they have not been transferred to the intern hall, everyone has stayed here. If we exclude those who have been staying in the hall for a long time, then 40 seats become vacant. Where will the rest stay?”

Describing the environment of the hall, Arafat Yasin said, “We were told to collaborate and stay, but it is not possible to stay in such inhuman conditions. The internal environment of the hall is even worse. Garbage, water in the washroom, earthworms — everything is there.”

One Room with 55 Students, Only 2 Washrooms for Over 100 Female Students

Talking to the students, it was learned that the situation in the adjacent female hall is even more miserable compared to the male hall. The 2024-25 session female students are staying in four mass rooms of that hall. In one of the rooms, 55 students are staying. Following this, talking to the female students revealed the horrific situation.

The four rooms of the hall were allotted to the 2024-25 session female students at the time of first-year admission. Among them, the largest one is called the ‘common room’. Here, 55 students are living crowded together. There is also a library room, but 27 female students have been accommodated there. Even then, there is not enough space, so a ‘glass room’ has been created in the corridor with glass partitions, where 11 female students are staying. For the remaining 12 female students, violating rules to some extent, the first room on the third floor has been allotted; the capacity of that room is also for only 6 students.

Female students of Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College say that apart from the newly promoted second-year students, there is also an accommodation crisis for the 2023-24 session students. In some places, 8 to 9 students are staying in rooms meant for 6. However, the 2024-25 session female students are suffering the most. For their total 105 residential female students, there are only 2 washrooms and bathrooms. This disrupts their class and exam participation as well as daily activities, and there is also a health risk. If they are allotted seats elsewhere from the mass room, they will get 4 washrooms. Getting these 2 extra washrooms seems to be their ultimate desire now.

Description of Mass Room Environment by Students

Describing the environment of the mass room, Atiya Akter Renu, a female student, told The Daily Campus, “We only get space to keep beds in the room. Our luggage, trunks — everything is lying unsecured in the corridor. There is no space to move, no personal space. Due to so many people staying together, there is no environment for studying either.”

She said, “We have 2 washrooms and 2 bathrooms for us. Our condition becomes very bad during college time. The queue for bathing continues till 5 PM. Even washrooms are not available. If we get allotted rooms, we will get 4 washrooms and 4 bathrooms.”

A female student, requesting anonymity, told The Daily Campus, “When we stay in the common room, we have to follow specific rules and regulations. For example — lights off before 12, and lights cannot be turned on before 7 AM. If we shift to 8-person rooms, we can compromise among ourselves. On the other hand, we cannot use fridge, induction, etc. We are allotted, but our facilities are very limited.”

Another female student told The Daily Campus, “We have some senior sisters who stay 4 in 8-person rooms. Some beds have allotment for 6, but only 2 or 3 are there. They do not stay in the room. So if the hall is searched, we will get many seats. The 13th batch sisters have completed their internship, even FCPS exams, and the 14th batch has also completed exams. They are all staying in 18 rooms. The supervisor madam has instructed them to shift to 7 rooms and vacate the remaining 11 rooms. But they have not changed rooms yet. However, even if they vacate the rooms, the problem will not be fully solved.”

Three-Point Demands of Students

Talking to the students of Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College, it is known that the classes for the 2025-26 session are scheduled to start at the end of this month. In this situation, there will be additional accommodation crisis. They are not clear yet what will happen to the accommodation of the 2024-25 session if the new batch is given mass rooms. In this situation, they have placed three-point demands before the medical college administration. They have also boycotted exams to realise the demands.

The three-point demands of the students are:

• Ensure immediate hall evacuation of students whose internship has ended.
• Cancel seats of irregular students and those staying with family in the hall and redistribute among students.
• Communicate with higher authorities to remove the temporary camp of the Bangladesh Army from the intern hall and take necessary measures.

Students say that if these problems are not solved quickly and effectively, there is a possibility of severe disruption to their academic activities.

Administration Says ‘Gradually’ — Angry at Exam Boycott

On 30 March, Professor Dr. Saki Mohammad Zakiul Alam, Principal of Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College, was appointed as Director (Medical Education) of the Directorate of Health Education. On the same day, Professor Dr. Md. Ainal Islam Khan of the Paediatrics Department was appointed as Principal of the institution. However, he could not be reached as he is undergoing training.

Professor Dr. ATM Solaiman Kabir of the Nephrology Department, who is in charge in the absence of the Principal, told The Daily Campus, “It is not possible to take any action suddenly. Everything will be solved gradually. The Principal has spoken about the withdrawal of the law enforcement camp. They will leave.”

While talking to The Daily Campus, he expressed anger at the students for boycotting the exams and also gave a veiled threat. He said, “They are doing all this to not give the exams. We will not take their exams. They will run after us. How will they sit for the prof without this exam? Tell them they will come to us.”