Postgrad trainee doctors block Shahbagh again, demanding Tk50,000 allowance
Dr Alam's wife lives in Cumilla, as he cannot afford to bring her to Dhaka.
After completing MBBS in 2020, Dr Md Hasibul Alam is now a Master of Public Health (MPH) trainee doctor at the National Institute of Preventive and Social Medicine (NIPSOM).
"I earn only Tk25,000 a month. How can I bring my wife?" asked Dr Alam.
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"Fees range from Tk17,000 to Tk25,000 for exams every few months. I often have to borrow money from my father, and it's embarrassing to still rely on my family for financial support," the 30-year-old doctor told The Business Standard.
Dr Alam is one the postgraduate private trainee doctors who have been protesting for over a week demanding an increase in their allowance to Tk50,000 allowance. Under the banner of Doctors' Movement for Justice (DMJ), they blocked all four points at Dhaka's Shahbagh intersection for over eight hours since 11am yesterday.
Following their MBBS, young doctors in Bangladesh enroll in specialised postgraduate courses like FCPS, diploma, MPhil, and MPH, offered by institutions such as NIPSOM, BSMMU, and BCPS.
Across the country, about 8,000 private trainee doctors are working in various public hospitals while pursuing advanced education. They are prohibited from engaging in private practice during their studies and are paid a monthly allowance of Tk25,000.
Protesting doctors said many postgraduate trainees, aged 30 to 35, are married and supporting families and without the option to practice privately, many struggle to cover their personal and family expenses.
They mentioned that postgraduate trainee doctors get Tk67,000 in India and Tk38,000 in Pakistan.
In Bangladesh, government postgraduate trainees receive monthly allowance as per Grade 9, which is around Tk38,000.
Dr Sayedur Rahman, special assistant to the health ministry, met with the protesters later in the evening, proposing Tk30,000 starting from January and Tk35,000 from July.
However, the doctors rejected the proposal, continuing their demonstrations, demanding Tk50,000 monthly allowance or promotion to the ninth grade with higher pay.
Professor Dr Rahida Begum, a renowned gynecologist and fertility specialist, said medical studies are vast and its breadth makes it incredibly challenging, requiring immense time and dedication to master.
"Balancing studies with family responsibilities - away from parents, spouses, and children - is already difficult. When financial strain adds to this burden, it becomes nearly impossible to produce skilled doctors for the nation," Dr Rahida told TBS.
She further said, "Trainee doctors are not students. They have families to care for, and their stipend should reflect a doctor's salary. If they are not given the opportunity to study without financial stress, the country will struggle to produce specialised doctors."
Dr Abdun Noor Tushar, an adviser at the Foundation for Doctors' Safety, Rights, and Responsibilities, suggested trainee doctors receive salaries in line with government entry-level pay grades.
"They are required to serve hospitals around the clock, and they sacrifice years of their lives for government service. Their contribution must be recognised," he added.
Dr Tushar added that the demands of the trainee doctors must be addressed firmly. "How many times can they take to the streets? Repeated protests will only tarnish their image, and the general public is becoming increasingly frustrated."
The issue of allowance for trainee doctors has been ongoing since 2022. In July this year, the government raised their monthly allowance by Tk5,000 to Tk25,000, but many doctors deemed it inadequate.
After the interim government took office, doctors resumed their protests on 22 December, blocking the Shahbagh intersection. The doctors later withdrew after receiving an assurance from the leader of the anti-discrimination movement, Sarjis Alam, that their demands would be addressed.
The next day, the finance ministry issued a notification increasing the allowance to Tk30,000 for those who passed the first phase of the FCPS from Bangladesh College of Physicians and Surgeons (BCPS).
However, the doctors rejected the offer and announced a strike.
