Future of more than 200 students at stake

Sabitri Dhakal
Thirty-seven medical colleges in Bangladesh where Nepali students enrol for MBBS and BDS programmes have been blacklisted, putting the fate of more than 200 Nepalis studying there in the balance.

According to a letter sent by the Embassy of Nepal in Bangladesh to Nepal Medical Council, some of the 37 blacklisted colleges are running without complying with the criteria set by the Bangladesh authorities, while some aren’t even registered.

“Medical colleges in Bangladesh are controlled and regulated by the University Grants Commission, Directorate General of Health Services and Bangladesh Medical Council. The colleges must be approved by the three regulatory bodies. The blacklisted colleges aren’t approved by all the three regulatory bodies,” NMC Chairman Prof Dharma Kanta Baskota told THT. The council has cautioned Nepali students against enrolling in these colleges.

“It is the university’s responsibility to transfer affected students to other medical colleges affiliated to it. But as every college has limited seats it will be difficult for all the students to get a transfer,” Dr Baskota said. So far only 18 students have been transferred to other medical colleges affiliated to the same university.


“The Embassy of Nepal in Bangladesh has sought information from the foreign ministry of Bangladesh but as cases concerning medical colleges are sub judice no written information has been made available to the embassy. However, the embassy was told verbally that Directorate General of Health Services had stopped investigating these medical colleges and none of the students passing out from there were registered by Bangladesh Medical Council,” states the official letter sent to NMC.

Preferred destination for medical studies
> Seventy-two per cent of the students seeking medical courses abroad go to Bangladesh
> More than 300 students go to Bangladesh for MBBS and BDS studies every year
> Out of 478 students who went abroad for MBBS and BDS studies in 2016, 328 went to Bangladesh

“Bangladesh’s proximity to Nepal, easy transportation, English medium courses, easy visa, similar disease pattern and instalment fee payment prompt students to seek admission in Bangladesh,” Dr Baskota told THT.

Dr Baskota advised students and their parents to acquire information about medical colleges before taking admission. “Visit medical colleges, seek advice from NMC, the embassy and councils in Bangladesh,” suggested the doctor.

However, Bangladeshi embassy in Kathmandu hasn’t got any information about the blacklisted colleges. “Embassy of Nepal at times blacklists colleges when students suffer and it circulates the message to NMC. But we haven’t got any official letter about the blacklist. The embassy has blacklisted Nightingale Medical College and City Medical College. We advise students not to seek admission in these two colleges,” said Sharda Moktan, public relations officer at Bangladeshi embassy in Kathmandu.

Institutes to avoid
Varsities with sub judice cases
> Sylhet International University
> Southern University Bangladesh
> Premier University
> Britannia University

University running with court’s stay order:
> Gono Bishwabidhyalay


Colleges yet to be registered
> Ashiyan Medical College
> Aichi Medical College
> Basundhara Ad-din Medical College
> Abdul Hamid Medical College
> Brahmanbaria Medical College
> Universal Medical College
> Care Medical College
> Parkview Medical College
> US Bangla Medical College
> Chattagram International Medical College
> Bikrampur Bhuiyan Medical College
> Mooara Sikder Medical College
> Merine City Medical College
> Shah Makhdum Medical College
> HMCH Medical College


Institutes with dubious reputation
> Queens University
> Northern International Medical College
> Care Medical College
> Shahabuddin Medical College
> Aichi Medical College
>  Ab-din Basundhara Medical College
> Saphena Dental College
> Northern Medical College
> City Medical College
> Nightingale Medical College
> BGC Trust Medical College
> Jalalabad Ragib-Rabeya Medical College
> University of Science and Technology
> Gonoshasthaya Samaj Vittik Medical College
> People’s University of Bangladesh
> University of Science and Technology
> IBAIS University

source:Sabitri Dhakal, The himalayan times, 24 Nov 2017

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