Around 50-60 people, including 10 cops, were injured during a clash between police and unemployed nurses demonstrating outside Health Minister Md Nasim’s Dhanmondi residence on Wednesday evening.Bangladesh Diploma Bekar Nurses Association (BDBNA) and Bangladesh Basic Graduate Nurses Society have been agitating over the last several weeks to press home their demands, including employment based on seniority. Contacted, Secretary General of Bangladesh Diploma Bekar Nurses Association Faruk Hossain told UNB that they were trying to meet the Prime Minister regarding their demands. Though they were assured of an appointment with the PM on Wednesday morning, they did not get time till Wednesday afternoon, he said.Failing to get the PM’s appointment, they gathered in front of The Health Minister’s Dhanmondi residence at around 6pm and started demonstrating, the BDBNA leader said. A large number of police were deployed to foil their demonstration programme. The police charged batons, lobbed tear gas shells and also used water canons to disperse the unemployed nurses. Finally, police dispersed the agitating nurses at around 8:30 pm. Several nurses’ leaders and activists were detained from the spot, said. Faruk Hossain.At least 50 agitating nurses were injured as police foiled their programme using baton charge, lobbing teargas shells as well as using water canons, he said. A three-month pregnant nurse, Fatima Akhtar, suffered injuries leading to her aborting the child she was carrying, said Faruk while talking to UNB.Deputy Commissioner (Ramna Division) of DMP Shah Mizan Shafiur Rahman said 8-10 police, including an Assistant Commissioner and one Additional Deputy Commissioner of Dhanmondi Zones) were injured when they tried to refrain the agitating nurses. Two nurses were also detained from the spot in connection with the incident, the DC (Ramna Division) said.
