Postgraduate trainee doctors on Monday called off their strike following a government notification on increase of their monthly allowance to Tk 35,000 from Tk 30,000.
Dr Md Nurunnabi, the general secretary of the Doctors' Movement for Justice, confirmed that the trainees will return to work on Tuesday.
Dr Nurunnabi, however, noted that while they are halting the protests, the issue of allowances still requires a long-term solution, rather than continuous demonstrations.
The trainees had been pushing for a raise in their monthly allowance to Tk 50,000, and their protests had been ongoing for an extended period. On Sunday, they had blocked Shahbagh Intersection in the capital as part of their protests for several hours.
In response to the protests, the Ministry of Finance on Monday announced a substantial increase in the monthly stipend for postgraduate trainee doctors. The new allowance will be raised by 30 per cent, reaching Tk 35,000, effective from July 1, 2025.
Prior to this, a more immediate increase took effect from December 23, raising the stipend from Tk 25,000 to Tk 30,000.
Two separate notifications were issued by Syed Ali Bin Hassan, deputy secretary of the Ministry of Finance, outlining the changes.
The first notification detailed the 20 per cent increase for resident and non-resident trainees, whether private or unpaid, at institutions affiliated to Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU).
The second notification specifically addressed unpaid trainees who have passed the first part of the Fellowship of the College of Physicians and Surgeons (FCPS) examination under the Bangladesh College of Physicians and Surgeons (BCPS), confirming the same allowance hike
