Dhaka Medical College

Dhaka Medical College set for Tk 1,155cr infrastructure overhaul

Dhaka Medical College, the country’s oldest medical education institution, is set for a major facelift as the government has taken up a Tk 1,154.83 crore project to replace its ageing and unsafe structures with modern academic, residential and support facilities. The project, titled “Replacement and Reconstruction of Unusable Structures of Dhaka Medical College”, will be implemented by the Directorate General of Medical Education under the Health Education and Family Welfare Division of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. The fully government-funded scheme will be implemented over four years from September 2026 to August 2030, according to project document.. The project seeks to address the longstanding infrastructure problems of Dhaka Medical College including old, earthquake-prone, weak and risky buildings while ensuring that ongoing academic activities are not disrupted during reconstruction. Established in 1946, Dhaka Medical College is the country’s first and one of its most prominent medical education institutions. The institution currently has around 60 buildings, old and new, while its hospital has capacity for around 2,600 beds. Despite that capacity, an average of around 3,500 to 4,000 patients are admitted to the hospital every day, placing considerable pressure on its existing infrastructure, according to the project document. Around 1,500 students are currently studying at the college at MBBS and postgraduate levels. The institution has four residential halls for students, but several of the existing facilities have become old and inadequate. The Dr Fazle Rabbi Hall, built in 1955 for male students, has accommodation for around 700 students. However, the ageing condition of the building has reduced its usable capacity. The Public Works Department has already declared the fourth floor of the main building abandoned, forcing students to live in a reduced space and creating accommodation problems, particularly for new batches. The project document says the existing academic buildings and hostels have become unsuitable for repair and increasingly risky, making replacement and modernisation necessary. Under the project, a 15-storey academic building with three basements will be constructed over 86,854.33 square metres. It will have four lecture theatres, each with a capacity of 300 students, and two examination halls, each also accommodating 300 students. A 15-storey student hostel with one basement will be constructed over 25,863.48 square metres, providing accommodation for around 800 students. A 15-storey residential quarters building with two basements, covering 20,601.08 square metres, will also be built to address accommodation needs of teachers and officials. The project also includes construction of a four-storey service building covering 1,277.41 square metres and a four-storey mosque covering 2,225.01 square metres, with space for around 800 worshippers. The government plans to make the renovated campus more environmentally sustainable by incorporating solar energy, rainwater conservation, efficient use of water and electricity, green spaces and modern waste management. According to the project document, residential buildings, including the student hostel and residential quarters, will account for around Tk 299.76 crore. Construction of non-residential buildings and related infrastructure has been estimated at around Tk 577.04 crore. The project also includes around Tk 15.10 crore for external health, sanitation and water supply facilities, Tk 118.26 crore for external electrification and electrical equipment, Tk 35.67 crore for furniture for the medical college, hostel and other facilities, and Tk 28.09 crore for equipment for the medical college. The project was initiated following a meeting chaired by the Director General of the Directorate General of Medical Education on February 3, 2025, where the deteriorating condition of the college’s infrastructure was discussed. Following the meeting, the Directorate of Architecture was instructed to prepare a comprehensive master plan incorporating modern facilities required for education, research and creative activities, including academic buildings, student hostels, lecture theatres, examination halls, prayer facilities and an auditorium. Subsequently, the Public Works Department was instructed to assess the costs of essential buildings in line with the master plan and prepare a Development Project Proposal (DPP). The DPP was eventually prepared based on the approved master plan, incorporating a new academic building, student hostel, residential quarters, mosque, service building and other essential facilities. The project document says the reconstruction is necessary not only to eliminate safety risks but also to strengthen the institutional environment of one of the country’s leading medical education centres. The government expects the new infrastructure to provide students and teachers with safer and more modern facilities, improve the quality of medical education and research, and help transform Dhaka Medical College into a sustainable and environmentally friendly campus.

2 days ago

Dhaka Medical College: A campus on pause

In a rare move, the authorities of Dhaka Medical College (DMC) on Saturday declared the institution closed for an indefinite period, following an ongoing deadlock between students and administration over urgent renovation and infrastructure demands. A formal notice, signed by DMC Principal Dr Md Kamrul Alam, announced that the closure will take effect from Sunday (June 22). The announcement comes after weeks of unrest on campus, with students boycotting classes since May 28 to press home a five-point demand centring on hazardous accommodation and stalled development projects. According to the notice, all students have been instructed to vacate their dormitories by 12 noon Sunday. However, professional MBBS examinees and foreign students have been exempted from the directive. The decision to halt academic operations was taken during an emergency meeting of the college’s academic council on Saturday. Talking to UNB, Principal Kamrul Alam explained the rationale behind the move, “Students have been asked to vacate the halls for a short period to avoid any potential risks. It is not possible to implement renovation demands so quickly. Therefore, until an alternative arrangement is made, the directive to leave the halls remains in effect.” He went on to say, “A few times in the past, the halls were closed due to clashes between groups or for other reasons. But this is the first time it’s happening due to renovation demands. The orientation programme has also been boycotted, which is deeply unfortunate. It’s something students usually look forward to, yet this time they chose to boycott it. I believe they might have been incited to do so.” Students Stand Their Ground Students, however, are refusing to leave. Many have criticised the closure as an evasion of accountability and a disregard for their living conditions. Dhaka Medical College closed indefinitely “We’ve been boycotting classes since May 28. Nearly seven months ago, the PWD declared the entire Fazle Rabbi Hall building as hazardous,” said Arupon Barua, a second-year student. Fourth-year student Abdullah Noman was more defiant, saying, “We reject the directive to vacate the halls. If our five-point demand is not met, we will announce our next course of action.” Even final-year students preparing for crucial examinations have joined the protests. “No student currently in session will leave the hall,” said Neela from Dr Aleem Chowdhury Hall. Another student from the same hall, Zobaida, echoed the sentiment. Five-Point Demand The protesting students have laid out five key demands:Urgent approval of a budget for constructing a new dormitory and female hall.Immediate alternative housing arrangements until new accommodations are completed.A separate budget for the construction of a new academic building.Prompt and visible action following the passing of separate budgets for all required facilities.Appointment of student representatives to ensure transparency and monitor progress. A Legacy at Crossroads Founded in 1946, Dhaka Medical College and Hospital (DMCH) is one of the country's premier institutions for medical education and tertiary healthcare. With over 1300 undergraduates and nearly 1000 postgraduates, DMC annually admits about 230 MBBS students. The college’s closure marks a rare and disruptive episode in its storied history. As DMC shutters its doors amid growing student resistance, questions loom in public mind over how long the stalemate will last and whether the demands for safety and accountability will finally be addressed.

1 year ago

Munshiganj fire: 36-yr-old father of deceased sisters dies

Another Munshiganj cylinder explosion victim has succumbed to his injuries at Dhaka Medical College and Hospital, officials said. Kawsar, 36, died at the hospital's Sheikh Hasina National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery on Saturday morning, taking the total number of deaths in the explosion to three. Kawsar, 36, his wife Shanta, 27, and their two children -- Yeasmin, 6, and Fatema, 3 -- sustained burn injuries in a fire triggered by the cooking gas cylinder blast in their house in the Char Muktarpur area of Munshiganj's Sadar upazila in early on Thursday morning. READ: Munshiganj Building Fire: Siblings succumb to burns at SHBU The two sisters died of their injuries that night only. Their mother and a neighbour are undergoing treatment at the hospital. For over eight years, Kawsar, a welder by profession, had been staying in Munshiganj with his family. Sadar Police Station OC Rajib Khan said, "Prima facie, it seemed to be a cooking gas cylinder explosion. But a CID team is investigating the case," he said.

4 years ago