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Dhaka Medical College, the country’s oldest medical education institution, is set for a major infrastructure overhaul under a Tk 1,154.83 crore government project aimed at replacing ageing and unsafe buildings with modern academic, residential and support facilities.
The project, titled “Replacement and Reconstruction of Unusable Structures of Dhaka Medical College,” will be implemented by the Directorate General of Medical Education under the Health Education and Family Welfare Division of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
Fully funded by the government, the four-year project is scheduled to run from September 2026 to August 2030, according to the project document.
The initiative seeks to address longstanding infrastructure problems at the institution, including old, weak and potentially earthquake-vulnerable buildings, while ensuring academic activities continue uninterrupted during reconstruction.
Established in 1946, Dhaka Medical College is the country’s first and one of its most prominent medical education institutions. The college currently has around 60 buildings, while its affiliated hospital has a capacity of approximately 2,600 beds.
However, the hospital handles around 3,500 to 4,000 admitted patients daily, putting significant pressure on its existing infrastructure, the project document says.
Around 1,500 students are currently enrolled in MBBS and postgraduate programmes.
Under the project, a 15-storey academic building with three basements will be constructed over 86,854.33 square metres. It will include four lecture theatres, each with a capacity of 300 students, along with two examination halls capable of accommodating 300 students each.
A 15-storey student hostel with one basement will be built over 25,863.48 square metres, providing accommodation for around 800 students.
A separate 15-storey residential quarters building with two basements, covering 20,601.08 square metres, will be constructed for teachers and officials.
The project also includes a four-storey service building covering 1,277.41 square metres and a four-storey mosque with an area of 2,225.01 square metres and capacity for around 800 worshippers.
The need for new accommodation is particularly pressing as several existing facilities have deteriorated. The Dr Fazle Rabbi Hall, built in 1955 for male students, originally accommodated around 700 students, but its ageing condition has reduced its usable capacity.
The Public Works Department has also declared the fourth floor of the college’s main building abandoned, further limiting available space and creating accommodation difficulties, particularly for new batches.
The government plans to make the reconstructed campus more environmentally sustainable by incorporating solar power, rainwater conservation, efficient water and electricity use, green spaces and modern waste-management systems.
Of the total project cost, around Tk 299.76 crore has been earmarked for residential buildings, including the student hostel and residential quarters.
Non-residential buildings and related infrastructure will cost approximately Tk 577.04 crore. The project also allocates Tk 15.10 crore for external health, sanitation and water-supply facilities, Tk 118.26 crore for external electrification and electrical equipment, Tk 35.67 crore for furniture and Tk 28.09 crore for equipment.
The project was initiated following a meeting chaired by the Director General of the Directorate General of Medical Education on February 3, 2025, where the deteriorating condition of the college’s infrastructure was discussed.
The Directorate of Architecture was subsequently asked to prepare a comprehensive master plan incorporating modern facilities for education, research and other academic activities.
Based on the approved master plan, the Development Project Proposal was prepared, incorporating the new academic building, student hostel, residential quarters, mosque, service building and other essential facilities.
The project document says the reconstruction is necessary not only to eliminate safety risks but also to strengthen the academic environment of one of Bangladesh’s leading medical education institutions.
The government expects the upgraded infrastructure to provide students and teachers with safer, modern facilities, improve medical education and research, and help transform Dhaka Medical College into a more sustainable and environmentally friendly campus.
