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Dhaka Medical College, the country's oldest and busiest public medical institution, is set to receive a Tk1,164 crore facelift, with the proposal due before the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) today.
Prime Minister and ECNEC Chairperson Tarique Rahman will chair the meeting, where officials will seek approval for a four-year overhaul running from September 2026 to August 2030, aimed at easing chronic overcrowding and replacing decaying infrastructure at the 1946-founded institution.
The college currently operates from roughly 60 old and new buildings, several of which have deteriorated badly.
Part of Dr Fazle Rabbi Hall has already been declared abandoned, and some existing hostels are no longer considered safe.
Around 1,500 students are enrolled in MBBS and postgraduate courses, while the attached hospital, with roughly 2,600 beds, treats nearly 4,000 patients daily – pressures officials say the ageing campus can no longer absorb.
Nasrin Parvin, deputy secretary of the Planning-1 Section under the Medical Education and Family Welfare Division, said the plan includes several major new structures.
"Here, a 15-storey residential building will be constructed. There will also be a quarter building and a hostel building," she told the Daily Sun, noting further facilities were also included in the proposal.
The centrepiece is a 15-storey academic building with three basement levels, housing four 300-seat lecture theatres and two examination halls.
A separate 15-storey hostel will accommodate around 800 students, while another 15-storey block will provide residential quarters for teaching staff.
The plan also incorporates sustainability measures, including solar power and rainwater harvesting to cut electricity and water use, alongside modern waste management systems and expanded greenery.
A four-storey mosque with space for roughly 800 worshippers is also proposed, along with fire hydrant systems, modern lifts, and improved internal roads around Dr Fazle Rabbi Hall.
The Planning Commission has recommended early implementation, citing the project's significance for medical education and the wider healthcare system.
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