Indian Medical Students in Bangladesh take to streets on Registration issues

New Delhi : The Bangladesh Medical and Dental Council (BMDC)'s decision to register only a fixed number of students from every institution, despite a larger number having been admitted to colleges has led to some 400 Indian students at a university in Chittagong stage protests for the past three days. They fear an uncertain future with the BDMC refusing to register all of them.

It is reported that a total of 1000 Indian students at the Institute of Applied Health Sciences of the University of Science and Technology have not been registered. They are a part of the last three batches.

Students from Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Nepal are also part of those affected. A few students revealed that the situation would become particularly difficult for those sitting for their Final MBBS examination from January 23, 2017.

"Even if we appear in the exam and pass it, it will mean nothing without registration from BMDC. We won't be able to sit for the Foreign Medical Graduates Examination of the Medical Council of India," a student, who student who preferred to remain anonymous told the HT telephonically.

"This means that after five years of hard work and toil, everything will be in vain and we won't be able to practice medicine anywhere," the student said.

The students who have been trying to get to the Human Resource Development and External Affairs Ministry via email have yet to hear from them.

The university authorities on their part have been making efforts to urge both the BDMC and the Health ministry in Dhaka to register the students at the earliest.

Pravat Chandra Barua, Vice Chancellor of the University of Science and Technology commenting on the prevailing situation said, "It all now depends on the decision-makers." All our previous batches were registered and passed out and went on to successful careers. The problem is only with the 28th, 29th and 30th batches."

Indian students who venture abroad who fail to clear the entrance tests in India. Some also prefer to opt for studying in countries like Bangladesh and the Soviet Republic because of cheaper fee.