Charging Extra Fees at IMT
100 graduates can't start career for certificates
About 100 students of a private medical institute could not enter their career for two years as its authorities are not issuing their graduation certificates demanding extra course fees.
The students had enrolled at Institute of Medical Technology (IMT) in 2004-05 sessions (first batch) to pursue the four-year BSc degree in health technology.
The IMT, though, did not have the approval from the Directorate of Health Services and Dhaka University until the beginning of 2006-07 sessions, complained the students.
The first batch of students had taken their last course exam in November, 2009 and the DU authorities had issued their certificates within five months. The examinees however are yet to receive those.
The graduates alleged that though the institute in the city's Mirpur-12 had fixed the total course fees at Tk 1 lakh, its Managing Director Prof Dr Abdul Malek has denied distributing the certificates unless each of them pays an extra Tk 55,000 as course and certificate fees.
The graduates have even failed to register for the March 31 convocation of DU as they could not produce their certificates.
When some students had met Dr Malek to know about the extra fees, he threatened them of suing in criminal cases.
"Though the MD had earlier assured us that we won't have to pay any fees for the wasted academic years, he is now forcing us to pay the extra amount," complained Mustakin Ahmed, a graduate.
Another graduate Ishrat Sultana said the MD had warned them of not returning their main certificates of SSC and HSC exams, unless they pay the claimed amount.
A few of the students paid the additional amount, but for the most it is not possible as they come from middle and lower-middle income families, she added.
"We went to Pallabi Police Station to lodge a general diary (GD) accusing the MD of cheating us, but police refused to record it," said another student Rashidul Hasan.
The IMT had collected Tk 16,000 from each of them to complete training in the fourth year of the course, although they receive training in the public hospitals where no IMT expenses are involved, noted another student.
Refuting all allegations, Dr Malek attributed the loss of academic year to session jam.
"We got the approval in 2004 and started the classes in January the following year," he mentioned.
He blamed the DU authorities for not allowing the graduates in the convocation, but could not clarify why the students could not take the exams in the first two years.
Asked about the complaints, DU Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr AAMS Arefin Siddique told The Daily Star that they have been informed about the irregularities in the IMT.
"The DU will form a committee soon to probe the matter. We will take strict action against them if found guilty," he said.
Classes at the IMT has remained closed for indefinite period. The authorities closed it on March 6 following protests by the graduates.
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