One medical college’s approval canceled, activities of 5 suspended

Health and Family Welfare Minister Zahid Maleque has said that the approval of one medical college has been canceled while activities of five suspended for not conducting quality education programmes as per the relevant laws and policies.

He came up with the information in response to a query from Jatiya Party Member of Parliament (MP) Mashiur Rahaman Ranga in the Jatiya Sangsad on Sunday (February 5).

The minister said that the private medical colleges are under the full control of the government. As part of the control, the admission process of five private medical colleges has been suspended and the approval of one has been canceled due to their inability to conduct quality education. In the past, some private medical colleges have been fined Tk 5 lakh per student for admitting additional students in violation of management policy and deposited in the state treasury.

Zahid Maleque said there are currently 76 private medical colleges in the country. Among these, Nightingale Medical College (Ashulia), Northern International Medical College (Dhaka), Northern Private Medical College (Rangpur), Aichi Medical College (Uttara) and Shah Makhdoom Medical College (Rajshahi) have been suspended. Alongside, approval of Care Medical College has been revoked.

The health minister said the activities of private medical colleges are supervised by the Department of Health Education and Family Welfare and the Directorate of Health Education. At the same time, supervision is also done from affiliated public universities and medical universities. Apart from this, the quality of education of medical colleges is monitored through the committee formed according to Private Medical Colleges and Dental Colleges Act-2022 and Private Medical Colleges Establishment and Management Policy, 2011 (amended).