Staff Reporter :
Several hundred demonstrating nurses blocked the city’s Shahbagh intersection for five hours on Wednesday, demanding seniority based appointment under the Bangladesh Public Service Commission (BPSC).
At least 20 nurses were injured in a clash when police charged baton to foil their demonstration in order to free Shahbagh for transport movement.
Of the injured, Asma Akhter, Mukul Hossain, Imran Hossain, Ambika, Abdul Latif and Saiful Islam were admitted to the Dhaka Medical College and Hospital (DMCH), police said.
Abu Bakar Siddique, Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Shahbagh Police Station, said, “Some 500 nurses under the banner of ‘Bangladesh Diploma Bekar Nurses Association’ and ‘Bangladesh Basic Graduation Nurses Society’ gathered at Shahbagh intersection around 10:00 am. They chanted slogans to press home their demand for posting in the public hospitals as per seniority instead of any entry test under the BPSC. At one stage, they blocked the Shahbagh intersection for five hours. Police requested them to withdraw their programme. But they could not respond to the police and seized the road. Finding no other way, police charged baton and foiled the program.”
Rajib Kumar Biswas, President of Bangladesh Basic Graduation Nurses Society, told The New Nation on Wednesday, “Police swooped on their peaceful programme and arrested five nurses from the scene”
He said, without any provocation police pursued different strategies to disperse the demonstrating nurses around 2:30pm and they threw three sound grenades from riot car.
Police also threw hot water and used pepper spray from water canon to disperse them.
DMP’s Ramna Zone Deputy Commissioner Abdul Baten said: “They blocked the busy road and were not moving away despite repeated requests. We had no choice, but to use force.”
The government announced to appoint 10,000 nurses on seniority under the BPSC. But the PSC’s circular invited applications from all.
Earlier March 28, the BPSC published a circular to recruit 3,616 senior staff nurses though the examination (preliminary, written, viva voce and health) instead of congenial seniority based appoint system.
Several hundred demonstrating nurses blocked the city’s Shahbagh intersection for five hours on Wednesday, demanding seniority based appointment under the Bangladesh Public Service Commission (BPSC).
At least 20 nurses were injured in a clash when police charged baton to foil their demonstration in order to free Shahbagh for transport movement.
Of the injured, Asma Akhter, Mukul Hossain, Imran Hossain, Ambika, Abdul Latif and Saiful Islam were admitted to the Dhaka Medical College and Hospital (DMCH), police said.
Abu Bakar Siddique, Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Shahbagh Police Station, said, “Some 500 nurses under the banner of ‘Bangladesh Diploma Bekar Nurses Association’ and ‘Bangladesh Basic Graduation Nurses Society’ gathered at Shahbagh intersection around 10:00 am. They chanted slogans to press home their demand for posting in the public hospitals as per seniority instead of any entry test under the BPSC. At one stage, they blocked the Shahbagh intersection for five hours. Police requested them to withdraw their programme. But they could not respond to the police and seized the road. Finding no other way, police charged baton and foiled the program.”
Rajib Kumar Biswas, President of Bangladesh Basic Graduation Nurses Society, told The New Nation on Wednesday, “Police swooped on their peaceful programme and arrested five nurses from the scene”
He said, without any provocation police pursued different strategies to disperse the demonstrating nurses around 2:30pm and they threw three sound grenades from riot car.
Police also threw hot water and used pepper spray from water canon to disperse them.
DMP’s Ramna Zone Deputy Commissioner Abdul Baten said: “They blocked the busy road and were not moving away despite repeated requests. We had no choice, but to use force.”
The government announced to appoint 10,000 nurses on seniority under the BPSC. But the PSC’s circular invited applications from all.
Earlier March 28, the BPSC published a circular to recruit 3,616 senior staff nurses though the examination (preliminary, written, viva voce and health) instead of congenial seniority based appoint system.
