Dhaka: The interns at different medical colleges and hospitals who went on an indefinite strike called off their programme on Monday following withdrawal of suspension order of their four fellows of Shaheed Ziaur Rahman Medical College (SZMC) in Bogra.

The decision came after an emergency meeting held between Health Minister Mohammad Nasim and the representatives of interns at his residence in the morning, said Bangladesh Medical Association (BMA) secretary general Dr. Iqbal Arsenal.

Interns’ associations leaders of Dhaka Medical College and Hospital, Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College and Hospital, Sir Salimullah Medical College were present at the meeting.

Interns at SZMC started their work abstention on Thursday protesting a Health Ministry directive suspending its four interns—Dr Nurjahan Binte Islam Naz, Dr Md Ashiquzzaman Asif, Dr Md Kutub Uddin and Dr MA Al Mamun—for six months.

Later, interns at several medical colleges and hospitals in Rajshahi, Barisal, Mymensingh and Sylhet expressed solidarity with the strike and went on work abstention, causing immense sufferings to patients.

Alauddin Sarkar, in his sixties, of Konagati in Sirajganj, was admitted to the hospital at midnight. Soon after his admission, Alauddin’s son Rauf locked into an altercation with an intern over switching on a fan.

At one stage of their argument, the intern called his colleagues, took Rauf to a separate room and beat him up. Later, the agitators locked the emergency unit of the hospital and went on an indefinite strike, citing that they were insulted by Alauddin’s relatives.

A probe body led by additional secretary Habibur Rahman was formed to investigate the incident on 23 February and the offenders were punished following the submission of the probe report.