Institutions not providing basic amenities to Kashmiri students pursuing MBBS in Bangladesh, allege parents

KA News Network 

Kashmiri students pursuing MBBS degrees in various colleges in Bangladesh are facing immense hardships, with their parents raising serious concerns about their living conditions and lack of support from consultancies.

A delegation of parents spoke to Kashmir Age, highlighting the plight of their children who are struggling to survive in extreme weather conditions with inadequate facilities. "They are living in sweltering temperatures without air conditioning, with temperatures in most cities exceeding 45 degrees Celsius," one parent lamented.

According to them, the hostels promised by the consultancies have turned out to be substandard. "In the name of hostels, they have been dumped in buildings worse than barracks," a distressed parent added. The students are reportedly forced to stay in overcrowded accommodations with poor ventilation and inadequate basic amenities, making their stay unbearable.

The delegation also raised concerns about the poor quality of food being served to the students. "The meals provided are of substandard quality, often lacking proper nutrition and hygiene. Our children are falling sick due to unhealthy food, but there are no measures in place to address their grievances," another parent stated.

Despite the hardships, the families feel helpless due to the enormous financial investment they have made in their children's education. "We would have brought them back, but we have already paid around Rs 30 to 40 lakhs for their studies. If we withdraw them now, all our hard-earned money will go to waste," a parent explained.

A major point of contention is the role of consultancies that facilitated the admissions. The parents accused these agencies of neglecting their responsibilities after collecting hefty commissions. "At the time of admission, they assured us of full support until the completion of our children’s degrees. However, now they have completely shrugged off their responsibility and are ignoring our pleas," said a frustrated parent.

The parents are now urging the Jammu and Kashmir government, as well as the Indian Ministry of External Affairs, to intervene and ensure better living conditions for the students. "We request the authorities to take up this matter with the concerned institutions in Bangladesh and ensure that our children are provided with basic facilities like proper hostels, air conditioning, and nutritious food. We cannot let them suffer in such dire conditions," a parent pleaded.

With a significant number of Kashmiri students opting to study MBBS abroad due to limited medical seats in India, their struggles in foreign countries have become a growing concern. Many believe that stricter regulations and accountability should be placed on consultancies facilitating such admissions to prevent students from falling into similar distressing situations in the future.

As the situation worsens, affected families are considering forming a collective representation to escalate their grievances to the higher authorities. "We are ready to take legal action against these consultancies if they continue to ignore our concerns. They must be held accountable for their false promises and lack of post-admission support," a parent warned.

While the future of these students hangs in the balance, their parents remain hopeful that timely intervention by the authorities will bring some relief and improve their living conditions in Bangladesh.