Staff Reporter : There are currently 67 private medical colleges operating in Bangladesh. Among them, 61 are for boys and 67 are for girls. There is a huge variation in the number of seats in these medical colleges. The minimum number of seats in medical colleges is 50 and the maximum is 155. The total number of seats in the 67 medical colleges is 6293.
This year, the Directorate of Health Education has selected the applicants for various medical colleges on the basis of merit and preference for the academic year 2024-2025. The nominated candidates were required to confirm that they agree to be admitted to the college for which they have been selected and later to the college of their choice during migration. After the confirmation period for the second phase of allotment of seats remaining vacant after the date fixed for the first confirmation, the students who have received both the first and second nominations have been admitted to the selected colleges by paying the admission fee prescribed by the government. Classes for new students have started on June 17, 2025 through an orientation organized by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
Despite the fact that there are enough applicants who have passed the admission test, a total of 467 seats are vacant. Due to so many vacant seats, students are being deprived of fulfilling their dream of becoming a doctor on an individual and family level. The nation is being deprived of a huge number of doctor services. And since private medical colleges are run depending on the fees of students. This is a huge financial loss for them, which can be an obstacle to providing quality and standard education.
One of the demands of private medical colleges was that since there are enough students who are eligible for admission, the concerned authorities should open the admission opportunity even after the second confirmation. This is known in the concerned circles as reopening the online portal for student admission. But the concerned branch of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has given a negative decision regarding the consideration of reopening the online portal for student admission.
After inquiring into the relevant circles regarding the opening of the portal, it was learned that the higher authorities of the ministry and the department were quite flexible and tolerant regarding the opening of the portal and they wanted a positive decision in this regard. However, in the meantime, the higher authorities of the Bangladesh Private Medical College Association took the initiative to bribe the relevant circles for the opening of the portal and started collecting extortion from private medical colleges.
The owner of a private medical college on the outskirts of the capital, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that the association’s current general secretary, Professor Dr. Md. Moazzem Hossain, had announced the collection of one crore taka. When this information about the extortion reached the concerned quarters, they did not agree to open the portal.
A responsible source who is in touch with the concerned circles said that they did not agree to open the portal out of fear of becoming a partner in extortion if they opened the portal. The allegations of the leaders of the association paying bribes to ministers and others by extorting money are quite old. By tempting them with approval of private medical colleges or increase in seats, they have extracted crores of taka from the concerned medical colleges and embezzled the remaining money by giving some amount to powerful people. They have taken the benefits of the bribe themselves.
It has been found that the East West Medical College, Dhaka, established in 2000, owned by the current General Secretary of BPMCA, Professor Dr. Md. Moazzem Hossain, has 127 seats. The International Medical College, Gazipur, established in 2000, owned by the current President, M. A. Mubin Khan, has 130 seats. The Tairun Nesa Memorial Medical College, Gazipur, established in 2001, owned by the current Finance Secretary, Md. Habibul Haque, has 105 seats. However, the number of seats in the Gonoshasthaya Samaj-based Medical College established in 1998 is 50, the number of seats in the Institute of Applied Health Science, Chittagong, established in 1989 is 80, and the number of seats in the Dhaka Medical College for Women, established in 1992 is 95.