The compound of the Sylhet Institute of Health Technology, which does not have any visible activities yet after more than a year has passed since its inauguration, has become a haven for criminals and drug peddlers, local inhabitants complained.
The institution situated near Sylhet Agricultural University at Alurtal in the city has only a night guard as its staff, said officials at the district department of health. 
‘The tall buildings and vast compound of the institute has turned a hideout for criminals. After sunset we are afraid of passing the area. You can detect the drug addicts there even in the daytime,’ said Khaled Miah, a youth from Alurtal.
Local residents do not dare to raise a collective protest to remove the drug peddlers and other criminals from the campus as they said influential rackets support them.
‘As it’s located in a hilly area the police seldom go there on patrol,’ Farid Ahmed, another local resident said.
District civil surgeon Kamrul Islam, who is in charge of the institute, told New Age on Thursday that they do not have any plan for recruiting staff soon.
‘It’s because the organogram of the institute has not been set yet,’ he said. 
The civil surgeon, however, said preparations were going on to admit students to two subjects, radiography and pathology.
‘The admission process will start from next week,’ he said, adding that classes of the courses are expected to start from February 1.
Kamrul Islam also said the courses will initially be run by hiring teachers on part-time basis from other universities and institutions.
According to the district health office, construction of the multi-storey academic building, administrative building, student dormitory and staff quarter on the premises of the institute was completed more than a year ago involving Tk 18.2 crore. 
Finance minister Abul Maal Abdul Muhith inaugurated the administrative and academic buildings on December 24, 2011.
Shah Paran police officer-in-charge Liaquat Ali said they were not informed about any unlawful activities going on in the institute compound.
‘Our teams regularly cover the campus during their routine patrol,’ he added.