Trainee Doctors Stage Blockade at Shahbagh Once Again, Demanding Increased Allowance

Postgraduate private trainee doctors have once again staged a blockade at Shahbagh, protesting the government’s decision to increase their monthly stipend by only Tk 5,000. On Sunday, the demonstrators, united under the banner of the Doctors Movement for Justice (DMJ), reiterated their demand for a significant hike in their monthly allowance to Tk 50,000.  

The protesters began gathering at the Bottola of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University around 9 am, where they stayed for two and a half hours. Failing to receive any assurances from the government by 11:30 am, they moved to block the Shahbagh intersection.  

Mohammad Tanvir Rahman Dwip, one of the protesting doctors, explained: “Our demand was to increase the allowance from Tk 25,000 to Tk 50,000, along with ninth-grade status and associated facilities. Despite earlier assurances, the government only issued a notification increasing the stipend by Tk 5,000. This is unacceptable. We demand a new notification meeting our demands; otherwise, we will not vacate the road, and our protests will continue.”  

The DMJ chief, Dr. Jabir Hossain, announced that their sit-in protest would persist, stating: “We gave the government until Thursday to amend the notification. Since they failed to meet our demands, we’ve resumed our movement today.”  

The blockade caused significant traffic disruptions in the Shahbagh area. Around 1:45 pm, Shahbagh Police Station chief Mohammad Khalid Mansur confirmed the gridlock and stated efforts were underway to negotiate with the protesters. Additional police personnel, along with armoured vehicles and water cannons, were deployed to prevent any escalation.  

The 10,000 postgraduate trainee doctors across Bangladesh serve a critical role, balancing advanced medical training with providing vital healthcare services in government hospitals.  

This protest continues a prolonged struggle for fair allowances. In 2022, similar demonstrations resulted in an increase from Tk 5,000 to Tk 25,000 in the stipend during the final months of the previous Awami League government. However, doctors have criticized the recent increase as inadequate, branding it “unreasonable.”  

Following the transition to an interim government, the protests reignited, with doctors blocking Shahbagh on Dec 22, disrupting traffic. While assurances from Anti-discrimination Student Movement leader Sarjis Alam led to a temporary withdrawal of protests, the Finance Department’s Dec 23 notification raising the allowance to Tk 30,000 fell short of expectations.  

Rejecting the notification, the DMJ stated: “Breaking promises with postgraduate private trainee doctors is nothing new. However, in this new Bangladesh, discrimination will no longer be tolerated.”