Physicians stage protest in Dhaka demanding justice for assaulted professor and enactment of medical protection law
Photo Collected
Doctors from across Bangladesh staged a protest at the Central Shaheed Minar in Dhaka on Wednesday, demanding justice for Professor Mohammad Asadur Rahman, the head of the Ear, Nose, and Throat (ENT) and Head-Neck Surgery Department at Dhaka Medical College, who was physically assaulted earlier this week.
The protest, jointly organized by the Society of Otolaryngologists and Head-Neck Surgeons of Bangladesh and the Dhaka Medical College Teachers Association, drew participants from various institutions, including Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University, the National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery, and several other public and private hospitals.
Professor Rahman was attacked late Monday night around 11:30 p.m. as he was entering a CNG-run auto-rickshaw after leaving his chamber at Popular Diagnostic Center in the Shantinagar area of the capital.
Speakers at the demonstration urged the government to expedite the arrest of all suspects and emphasized the urgent need for a comprehensive Physician Protection Act to ensure the safety of healthcare workers. Mohammad Zahirul Islam Shakil, Secretary General of the Doctors Association of Bangladesh (DAB), confirmed that one suspect has been arrested. He noted that discussions have been held with high-ranking police officials and the Ministry of Health, with authorities promising that remaining suspects will be apprehended shortly.
Islam warned that the national healthcare system faces collapse if physicians continue to operate without adequate security or a stable working environment.
Professor Mohammad Mazharul Shahin, convener of the Society of Otolaryngologists and Head-Neck Surgeons of Bangladesh, stressed that physicians strive to provide the best possible care based on their expertise, but cannot guarantee the prevention of death. He called for the enactment of both a Physician Protection Act and a Patient Protection Act to clarify legal boundaries, stating that any professional misconduct should be handled through established legal channels and the Bangladesh Medical and Dental Council, rather than through vigilante violence.
The demonstrators expressed growing frustration over the frequent physical assaults on medical staff. Professor Mohammad Zakaria-Al-Aziz, joint convener of the Teachers Association, remarked that the climate of impunity and persistent hostility is deterring new students from entering the medical profession. He declared that the prevailing anarchy, characterized by frequent unprovoked attacks on doctors, must be brought to an end to preserve the country’s medical infrastructure.
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