Staff Reporter : Bangladesh Private Medical College Association (BPMCA) is the association of private medical college owners in the country. Established in 2008, this organization was registered as a joint stock company in 2010. In the past 15 years since its establishment, no election has been held for the election of office bearers in this organization. Some office bearers have always been appointed through selection. Although the current executive committee took charge for the 2023-2024 term,
it was not able to hold the election on time, and when it applied to the Trade Organizations Division of the Ministry of Commerce, it was extended by three (3) months from November 2, 2024 to February 1, 2025. If the election was held within the said three months and the time was extended again, the Ministry of Commerce extended the time by another six (6) months. Although there is a provision for granting six (6) months as per Section 14 of the Trade Organizations Act 2022, a total of nine (9) months have been extended in two phases, which is against the law.
According to the currently announced schedule, the election is scheduled to be held on Wednesday, July 16, 2025. Two panels are participating in this election. One panel is contesting the election of the 21-member executive committee, while the current executive committee has 13 members. The contestants in this panel have also served in other past executive committees at various times. On the other hand, the other panel has never served in the executive committee in the past.
Therefore, this election is going to be a group of new candidates, including those who were not in power along with those who are currently in power and those who were in power in the past. The general secretary candidate of the ruling panel, Professor Dr. Md. Moazzem Hossain, is the general secretary of the current executive committee.
He also served as the president for three terms in the terms of 2010-2012, 2012-2014 and 2014-2016. The finance secretary candidate, Md. Habibul Haque, is also the finance secretary of the current executive committee. He was also the finance secretary in the previous term of 2021-2022. In addition, he has served as the Organizing Secretary for a total of five terms in 2010-2012, 2012-2014, 2014-2016, 2016-2018 and 2018-2020. Vice-President candidate Dr.
Mostafizur Rahman is also serving as the Vice-President in the current Executive Committee. Vice-President candidate Dr. Gazi Mizanur Rahman is the Joint Secretary in the current Executive Committee. Earlier, he was the Joint Secretary in the 2021-2022 term and served as the Legal Affairs Secretary for a total of three terms in 2012-2014, 2014-2016 and 2016-2018. Vice-President candidate Syed Md. Morshed Hossain is the Joint Secretary in the current Executive Committee.
Joint Secretary candidate Nilu Ahsan is the Education, Culture and Social Welfare Secretary in the current Executive Committee. She had previously held this position for a total of four terms, 2010-2012, 2012-2014, 2014-2016 and 2016-2018. Her husband, Md. Nazmul Ahsan Sarkar, is another joint secretary candidate and is also a joint secretary in the current executive committee. Earlier, he was also a joint secretary for the 2021-2022 term and was the divisional organizing secretary for a total of three terms, 2010-2012, 2012-2014, 2014-2016.
In this regard, some owners of private medical colleges said that in the past, a handful of beneficiaries have been in charge of the organization and have done nothing for the general members of the organization.
Moreover, they have at various times created pressure and collected extortion from the members in the name of bribing ministers and others. As a result of this bribery business, they have benefited personally, while the general members are still suffering from various problems. This year too, 467 seats have fallen vacant in private medical colleges. The government has forced private medical colleges to charge admission fees in installments, yet the current leaders in power have failed to do anything about it.
A prime example of benefiting from power is the number of seats in medical colleges. Since private medical colleges run on fees collected from students, more seats means more income, more comfort. East West Medical College owned by Professor Dr. Md. Moazzem Hossain was established in 2000 and has 127 seats. Tairunnesa Medical College owned by Md. Habibul Haque was established in 2001 and has 107 seats. Popular Medical College owned by Dr. Mostafizur Rahman was established in 2010 but has 105. Gazi Medical College owned by Dr. Gazi Mizanur Rahman was established in 2012 but has 100 seats. Syed Md. Morshed Hossain’s Chittagong Mother and Child Hospital Medical College was established in 2006 and has 115 seats. Rangpur Community Medical College owned by Nilu Ahsan and Nazmul Ahsan Sarkar was established in 2008 and has 115 seats.
It can be seen that the number of seats in various private medical colleges established between 2000 and 2012 ranges from 100 to 135. On the other hand, the number of seats in the public health society-based medical college established in 1989 is 50; the number of seats in the Institute of Applied Health Sciences established in 1990 is 80, and the number of seats in the Medical College for Women established in 1992 is 95. What a great opportunity for the ruling class!
In response to the question of who he would vote for, the owner of a medical college in Dhaka said that there is no place for the old powerful in the post-revolutionary Bangladesh of 1924. The new ones will lead the new Bangladesh. The same will happen again in the BPMCA elections . The old ones could not make the necessary reforms, so it is time to make way for the new ones.
Another voter and medical college owner from Chittagong said the ruling party will face a crushing defeat in this election.