A heaven for South Asian medical students
- Mahadi Al Hasnat
- Published at 09:42 PM June 19, 2017
- Last updated at 12:35 AM June 20, 2017
Nepalese students celebrate their graduation from Dhaka University in front of the Raju Bhashkarja on the campus at the university's 50th convocation ceremony on March 4, 2017
Syed Zakir Hossain/Dhaka Tribune
Every year, many students from Afghanistan, Bhutan, India, Pakistan, the Maldives, Nepal and Sri Lanka enrol in both public and private medical colleges in Bangladesh.
Many students from the South Asian countries flock to Bangladeshi medical schools because Bangladesh is increasingly standing out as an attractive option for medical aspirants when prices for medical studies are going up in Asia, Europe and North America.
Every year, many students from Afghanistan, Bhutan, India, Pakistan, the Maldives, Nepal and Sri Lanka enrol in both public and private medical colleges in Bangladesh, which offer high yet affordable standards of education.
There are more than 75 seats for international students in various government-run medical colleges in Bangladesh, while 20-25% of seats in private medical colleges are reserved for them, according to sources.
“Foreign students are increasingly interested in studying in Bangladeshi medical colleges because of the quality education and low costs,” said Dr Md Shafiqul Alam Chowdhury, vice-principal of Dhaka Medical College.
Speaking to the Dhaka Tribune, several foreign students said the quality of medical studies in Bangladesh is similar to that of India, both in terms of syllabi, books, teaching methods, and duration of study.
Krishna Kumar Isar, a medical student from Rajbiraj in Nepal who has been attending the Dhaka Community Medical College and Hospital since 2015, said: “The number of seats in medical colleges is not enough in Nepal, but in Bangladesh, Nepalese students can get admitted easily because of the availability of seats. Bangladesh is geographically close to Nepal, which is another advantage.”
Azae Sha, another Nepalese student from Kathmandu who is currently enrolled in MH Samorita Hospital and Medical College, said:
“Medical studies cost $100,000 in India, which is too expensive. But we can get the same quality of education in Bangladesh with only $30,000-$45,000.''
Given these advantages, 400-500 Nepalese students come to Bangladesh for medical studies, he added.
Bangladesh attracts large numbers of Indian students from West Bengal, Jammu and Kashmir, Kerala, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Punjab, Karnataka, Tripura and Manipur as well.
Bangladesh is particularly popular among Kashmiri students because it is a Muslim majority country, said Yasir Javed, a student from Jammu and Kashmir who goes to Sher-e-Bangla Medical College.
“Bangladeshi culture is quite familiar to Kashmiri students because of its Islamic traditions. The quality of education is also pretty good, and the cost is affordable for middle-class families,” he explained.
Tousif Khan, a student from Kolkata who goes to Uttara Modern Medical College, said Indian students trained in Bangladesh frequently come out on top in the entrance examination of the Medical Council of India, which is for Indian students completing their medical degrees abroad.
“Many Indian students favour Bangladeshi medical colleges as they don’t require the NEET score, which is compulsory in India because of the limited seats and huge number of applicants. The tuition cost is also higher in India,” he said. “Indian parents also prefer Bangladesh for their children’s higher studies, since it is close to home.”
When contacted, Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid said Bangladesh had become a popular destination for foreign nationals because of the significant progress in the standards of higher education.
“India may be wealthier than us, but it cannot meet the demands of its vast population, which is why many Indian students come to Bangladesh for higher education. Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, and other neighbouring countries also have confidence in our quality of education,” he told the Dhaka Tribune.
He further said if the educational institutions in Bangladesh continued their progress and further hone the quality of their education, more students from foreign countries would be encouraged to study here.
http://www.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/education/2017/06/19/haven-south-asian-medical-students/