Dhaka Medical College and Hospital

The college's original building was built before the Partition of Bengal of 1905. As of 1904, the building was being used as the secretariat (headquarters) of the newly formed provinces of East Bengal and Assam. In 1921, it was turned over to the University of Dhaka, which was founded that year. A part of the huge building was used as the university's medical center, another part as the students' dormitory, and the rest as the office of the administrative wing of the Arts faculty.

In 1939, the Dhaka university council requested British Government to establish a separate medical college in Dhaka. The proposal was postponed because of the onset of the Second World War.

During World War II the medical center building became an American armed forces hospital. The Americans vacated the building at the end of the war.

In 1946, due to the partition of India, all the advanced students (From K-4 to K-1) as well as many lecturers and professors were transferred from Calcutta Medical College to start academic studies and maintain hospital facilities in the newly established Dhaka Medical College. Academic classes started on 10 July, which is celebrated as DMC Day.

The medical college authority decided to start all batch names with the prefix K, which arguably stands for Kolkata, as a goodwill gesture to Calcutta Medical College, for its support. Different versions of the history of 'K' also exist. The 1st year, the beginning batch, was named K-5, 2nd year K-4, 3rd year K-3, 4th year K-2, and 5th year K-1. The two medical colleges have had a good relationship since the beginning. Every year, many students and doctors of Dhaka Medical College attend seminars and programs arranged by Calcutta Medical College.

Major W. J. Virgin, the head of the committee formed to establish the Dhaka Medical College, was the first principal. In the beginning there were only four departments – medicine, surgery, gynecology and otolaryngology (ENT). Since the college did not initially have anatomy or physiology departments, the students at first attended those classes at Mitford Medical School (now the Sir Salimullah Medical College); but, after a month, Professor of Anatomy Pashupati Basuand and Professor of Physiology Hiralal Saha joined the staff and their specialties were taught in ward no. 22 of the hospital.

There was no lecture hall nor dissection gallery at first. These needs were met after the construction of new academic buildings in 1955. The college did not have any student housing. Male students were allowed to reside in the Dhaka University's student halls, but female students did not have the use of that facility. The college and hospital premises were expanded with temporary sheds, some of which were built for outdoor services of the hospital and some for student housing. New buildings for housing, college, and hospital were constructed in phases: a dormitory for girls in 1952, a dormitory for male students in 1954–55, a new complex of academic buildings in 1955, and a dormitory for internee doctors in 1974–75. A new academic and hospital building, adding 500 beds, Dhaka Medical College Hospital-2 (DMCH-2), was inaugurated by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on 3 October 2013.

Over time, the original 100-bed hospital has grown to become Bangladesh's largest hospital. After adding the 500 beds in 2013, DMCH now has 2300 beds in a 25-acre campus.[3]

Every student batch, or class, of Dhaka Medical College is tagged with the prefix K along with a number. In 2020, DMC is hosting its 77th batch, hence branded as K-77. Many theories about the origin of the letter K exist, the most popular being that K stands for Kolkata, as many students of DMC's earlier batches migrated from Calcutta Medical College. Though Kolkata was officially known as Calcutta until 2001 but widely pronounced as Kolikata in Bengali. Another theory proposes that, as the college was the 11th medical school in Indian subcontinent, K, the 11th letter of alphabet, is used.[4]

The college dormitories that were known as barracks were at the heart of the Bengali Language Movement from 1948 to 1952. The barracks were formerly situated at the current location of the Shaheed Minar.

There were about 20 tin shed barracks where the medical students resided. Because they were close to the Parliament of East Pakistan (presently Jagannath Hall of Dhaka University), the medical dormitories were chosen as the center of the student movement.

In the early hours of 21 February 1952, all the students of Dhaka Medical College gathered in front of the medical college dormitories. In the afternoon the group headed for the parliament which was in session. No procession was allowed due to the imposition of Section 144 (a section of the penal code that prohibited unlawful assembly). The students decided to defy Section 144 at 4:00 PM at the historic Aam-tola (which was situated beside the present day Emergency gate).

The police fired at the procession, resulting in the deaths of Salam, Barkat, Rafique, Jabbar and Shafiur.

After sunset on 21 February, at the site of the deaths, the students of Dhaka Medical College decided to build a monument. They worked continuously on 22 and 23 February and finished the construction, using bricks, gravel and cement reserved for the hospital.

Many staff and students took part in the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War, as fighters or in treating the injured.[17]