Bengali women in CHT gain access to midwifery diploma following policy change
STAFF CORRESPONDENT, KHAGRACHHARI
Bengali women in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) are now eligible to apply for a three-year midwifery diploma after a change in admission criteria.
The move follows a report by Parbatta News, which raised concerns about ethnic bias against Bengali communities.
A notice issued on March 2 had limited the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)-funded programme to 300 candidates from small minority groups.
However, on March 5, the Directorate of Nursing and Midwifery issued a revised notice, allowing applications from all communities.
Hill district councils in Khagrachhari, Rangamati, and Bandarban have been tasked with providing logistical support and outreach to applicants.
The initial restriction faced sharp criticism from civil rights groups and advocates, including Alamgir Kabir, secretary of the Parbatya Chattagram Nagorik Parishad.
“Limiting opportunities to certain communities is discriminatory,” he had said, calling for the inclusion of Bengali women to ensure the UNFPA programme’s success.
