The academic activities at Bandarban Nursing College are being disrupted due to an acute shortage of teachers and staff, nearly six years after the institution was established.
The college was founded in 2018 on the premises of Bandarban Sadar Hospital with the objectives of expanding higher education in nursing and producing skilled healthcare professionals in the Chattogram Hill Tracts. The institution was established in response to the growing demand from students in Bandarban and surrounding areas seeking advanced nursing education.
In 2020, the college introduced three academic programmes--Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSc Nursing), Diploma in Nursing Science and Midwifery, and Diploma in Midwifery. Despite the expansion of academic programmes, the institution continues to face a severe teacher crisis.
Sources at the college said that although 42 teaching positions are approved, only 13 teachers are currently employed. Posts of 20 Class III and IV employees are also lying vacant at the college. Such a shortage has created immense pressure on existing teachers and negatively affected both academic and administrative activities.
Students say the crisis has persisted since the college began its academic journey. Md. Muhin Hossain, a student of the college, said that Bandarban Nursing College is the only institution in the district offering higher nursing education. “It has been struggling with a shortage of teachers since the very beginning,” he added.
Another student, Paing Marma, said the teacher shortage is the college’s most pressing problem. He said that unless the issue is resolved quickly, prospective students may lose interest in enrolling at the institution.
Nursing instructor Nirmita Tanchangya said that teachers are deeply committed to maintaining educational standards, but the growing shortage has resulted in an increasing workload and mounting pressure on existing faculty members.
The college is also facing shortages of academic facilities. The English language laboratory lacks adequate equipment, while the absence of sufficient multimedia projectors, generators, and classroom furniture regularly disrupts teaching and learning activities.
Student Apu said that English is a crucial subject in nursing education, yet the language lab remains poorly equipped. Despite these challenges, students continue their studies under difficult conditions.
College Principal Rashida Begum said the relevant authorities have been informed of the ongoing problems. She added that despite numerous constraints, students have continued to achieve satisfactory academic results.
She further stated that since the start of academic activities in 2020, the college currently has 433 enrolled students. To ensure quality nursing education and meet growing demand, she emphasized the urgent need for adequate teacher recruitment and staff appointments.
Local residents have called for immediate government intervention to address the teacher and staff shortages and ensure the facilities at Bandarban Nursing College so that students can pursue their education in a supportive and uninterrupted academic environment.
The nursing college was established at a cost of approximately Tk 35 crore during the previous government’s tenure with the aim of producing skilled nurses and improving healthcare services in the Chattogram Hill Tracts.
