BMA, agitators at loggerheads

High Bangladesh Medical Association (BMA) officials and representatives of agitators demanding fresh medical and dental college admission tests yesterday failed to reach consensus on forming a body to probe allegations that the September 18 tests' question papers were leaked.

The agitators, in a press release, announced holding a press conference today at noon at Dhaka University's Teacher-Student Centre and declare programmes.

The representatives had wanted to include Barrister Sara Hossain, Prof Anu Muhammad and IT experts from their part in the committee which was to be formed comprising BMA members, spokesperson Tanvir Ahmed told The Daily Star.

But BMA rejected it at the two-hour long meeting in BMA Bhaban in the capital's Topkhana Road, prompting the representatives to refrain from providing the leak's evidence, he said.

They were supposed to provide the evidence and discuss on forming the body yesterday as per the decision taken during Monday night's meeting with the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) at the BMA auditorium, he added.

Acknowledging this, BMA's Dhaka city unit Vice-President Abdur Rauf Sarder said the body had to comprise only BMA members to remain impartial.

Among those present on Monday night's meeting were noted columnist Syed Abul Maksud, journalist Abu Sayed Khan, and DGHS Director General Prof Deen Muhammad Noorul Haque, Additional Director General Abul Kalam Azad and Director (admin) Ehteshanul Haq Chowdhury.

"Concerned citizens" on Monday formed a 17-member "public committee", convened by eminent economist Prof Anu Muhammad, to investigate the allegations, prepare a report by November 20 and provide it to DGHS seeking measures.