Interns at Shaheed Ziaur Rahman Medical College Hospital in Bogra continued their work abstention for a second day yesterday in protest of penalising their colleagues for assaulting a patient's relative.

The authorities, however, ensured uninterrupted medical services at the hospital under special arrangements, Deputy Director Nirmolendu Chowdhury told The Daily Star.

He said they had called the interns, who went on work abstention on Friday evening, for a meeting yesterday. They, however, did not join it. “We have called another meeting this morning to end the crisis.”

Spokesperson for the interns, Kutub Uddin, said they wanted the authorities concerned cancel the punishment handed to their four colleagues.

Terming the punishment illegal, he said they would form a human chain on the campus this morning.

A group of interns allegedly beat up twice Rouf Sarkar, 35, son of a patient admitted there, over a trifling matter on February 19.

A video of the incident went viral on social media.

Later, the Bangladesh Medical and Dental Council launched an investigation and suspend the internships of four interns for six months based on the probe findings.

“Their role was proved in the attack,” Health Secretary Sirajul Islam had told The Daily Star. After six months, they can resume their internship, he added.