Unani-Ayurvedic students call for the formation of an autonomous governing body.
In the heart of Dhaka, the capital city of Bangladesh, students from the Government Unani and Ayurvedic Medical College have been staging a three-day protest, demanding the formation of an independent Unani-Ayurvedic council. The demonstration, which began on July 7th, is a response to a controversial letter issued by the Medical Education-2 branch of the Health Education and Family Welfare Division on June 30th, 2023.
The students allege that the letter is one-sided, biased, and against policy, and they fear it may negatively impact the future of Unani-Ayurvedic medical education. The letter, they claim, threatens their registration, employment, and opportunities for higher education.
The Government Unani and Ayurvedic Medical College, established in the 1990s in Mirpur, Dhaka, is a beacon of traditional healing practices in the region. However, these disciplines have often faced marginalization within the mainstream healthcare ecosystem, lacking parity in regulatory frameworks, research funding, and career opportunities compared to allopathic medicine.
The students' main demand is the implementation of a legal council to address the issues faced over the past 35 years. They argue that Unani and Ayurvedic medicine need a regulatory council analogous to the Bangladesh Medical and Dental Council (BMDC) for allopathic medicine, ensuring proper standards, ethical codes, and professional recognition.
The movement for an independent Unani-Ayurvedic council reflects the sustained efforts of students, practitioners, and professional bodies to secure recognition, regulation, and integration of traditional medicine systems within the national and global healthcare landscape.
The protest has seen students chanting slogans such as "One demand, one goal - we want an independent council," "Cancel the illegal letter," and "Unani-Ayurvedic doctors bring pride, broker syndicates bring shame."
In India, the Ministry of Ayush already exists and plays a central role in regulating and promoting traditional medicine. However, in Bangladesh, the sector is regulated by councils or ministries, but calls for dedicated oversight tailored to these traditional systems have persisted.
The Health authorities in Bangladesh have responded positively, with assurances from the government to consider these demands and take steps toward forming a council and revising policies. The Bangladesh Association of Medicine and Ayurveda (BAMA) has formally urged the government for policy reforms, including the establishment of a dedicated council and possibly a separate ministry for Herbal and Alternative Medicine, inspired by India's Ministry of Ayush.
The World Health Organization is working to make affordable, side-effect-free traditional treatment accessible to everyone globally. Tanvir Ahmed, a student of the 34th batch, stated that health is a fundamental right and traditional medicine has been practiced for thousands of years in various countries.
The protest is taking place at the Service Building of the Directorate General of Health Services in Mohakhali, the capital. The students are urging the concerned authorities to take immediate action and implement the law to establish the council. The swift implementation of the law and establishment of the council, they believe, is necessary to secure their future within the healthcare sector.
- In an effort to promote workplace-wellness and health-and-wellness for Unani-Ayurvedic medical students, the students at the Government Unani and Ayurvedic Medical College in Dhaka have demanded the formation of an independent Unani-Ayurvedic council.
- To ensure the growth and development of their education-and-self-development, as well as their mental-health and personal-growth, the students believe that the council is necessary to establish proper standards, ethical codes, and professional recognition, similar to the Bangladesh Medical and Dental Council (BMDC) for allopathic medicine.
- The unfolding situation in Dhaka demonstrated the importance of learning and implementing best practices in the field of science, with the World Health Organization advocating for the accessibility of affordable, side-effect-free traditional treatment as a fundamental right for all.
