Minister for Law Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Sher Bahadur Tamang has announced resignation with teary eyes over his comments about Nepali female students going to Bangladesh to study MBBS.
Addressing a press conference at the ministry in the afternoon with his wife by his side, Tamang was overwhelmed with emotions and announced he is resigning on moral grounds and will submit the resignation to Prime Minister (PM) KP Sharma Oli.
Talking to Setopati earlier on the day after rumors that the ruling Communist Party of Nepal (CPN) has asked him to resign over his comments in a damage control measure, he had denied the rumors.
“That may just be rumors,” Tamang told Setopati about the rumors. He claimed that new laws will be discussed during the press conference to be held at the ministry when asked if he has called the press conference to announce resignation. He did talk about his achievements at the start of the press conference but announced resignation toward the end.
Speaking at a program organized by Practice International Academy in Chuchchepati in Kathmandu on Friday, Tamang had claimed that Nepali girls studying MBBS in Bangladesh have to sell themselves to get the certificate.
"I will now reveal a story. I have heard that our daughters who go to study in Bangladesh have to somehow sell themselves to get a certificate of doctor," Tamang said during the program. "We send our daughters abroad to study. But they can't acquire certificates there without yielding themselves."
The main opposition Nepali Congress (NC) and RPP officially condemned Minister Tamang's comments while the minister on Sunday issued a press statement apologizing for hurting students who have studied and are studying in Bangladesh.
But the apology, which was not an unreserved one, did more damage as he tried to reinforce his claims instead of apologizing for making unfounded claims that the female students have to sell themselves. He insisted that he wanted to bring the problems faced by Nepalis studying abroad to the fore. The statement added that he said so with an intention that the situation would end if the students get to study medicine inside Nepal and do not have to go abroad for study.
His remarks on Friday and the stated intent of the comments as mentioned in the apology are in line with the comments of promoter of B &C Hospital Durga Prasai about Nepali female students in Bangladesh, and his accusation that Dr Govinda KC is lobbying for the brokers who send Nepali students abroad to study medicine.
[caption id="attachment_126283" align="alignnone" width="1200"]
Minister for Law Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Sher Bahadur Tamang wipes tears while announcing his resignation in a press conference after a widespread criticism over his comments about Nepali female students going to Bangladesh to study MBBS. Photo: Narayan Maharjan/Setopati[/caption]
