DHAKA: The striking physiotherapy students called off their hunger strike after getting government assurance that a physiotherapy college would be set up within 14 days.

Health Minister AFM Ruhal Haque on Tuesday evening visited the fasting students at Central Shaheed Minar and assured them of meeting their demands.

The students had been fasting since June 21 to press demands for opening a physiotherapy college and immediate construction of its building.

Joint-convener of Bangladesh Physiotherapy Students Union Arifur Rahman said, “We withdrew our hunger strike as the Health Minister assured us of establishing a college within 14 days. But, we will keep the demonstrations on until the construction work of the building is started.”

According to the students, the construction of the college building was yet to start though the health minister, while laying its foundation stone on June10, 2009, had announced that it would start by July 31, 2009.

Earlier on Monday, at least 20 physiotherapy students were injured as police clubbed them while they were going in a procession towards the Prime Minister’s Office to submit a memorandum in this regard.

The injured students were admitted to Dhaka Medical College Hospital for treatment.

BDST: 05:00 Hrs, June 29, 2010.
AAD/MS/SMS/MUA