Tension at DMCH over transfer of an official

Tension erupted among doctors, students and employees at Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) on Tuesday over the transfer and joining of an administrative official.

The incident took place at the hospital’s administrative block around noon, following which additional police were deployed on the premises.

Around 12pm, a group of doctors and students entered the chamber of DMCH Director Brig Gen Md Asaduzzaman and began chanting, “One-point, one demand�"the director must resign.” They remained inside the chamber as part of their protest.

Dr Saiful Alam Badsha, who is joint secretary of the central committee of Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal and participated in the sit-in program, said: “The director used to corrupt employees. Even after being transferred, he went to the minister's office and used influence to cancel it. We came to his room today to ask for an explanation”.

But, he used his fourth-class employees to attack us. “This director had obstructed medical services for students during the student-public movement of 24. He is a true ally of dictatorship. Our sit-in program will continue until he resigns”, he said.

According to hospital sources, Administrative Officer Md Rezaul Islam was transferred to Mymensingh Medical College Hospital, while Mymensingh official Mozammel Haque was transferred to DMCH. However, the new officer, Mozammel Haque, was not being allowed to join the work. For this reason, a section of physicians held several meetings with the director over the issue.

The Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) issued a transfer order for Rezaul Islam on Sunday, but later cancelled it on Monday.

On Monday, a group of doctors allegedly went to put a lock on Rezaul’s office and sought a padlock from Class-III employee Md Hanif. However, Hanif alleged that the doctors assaulted him during the incident.

Protesting the alleged assault and demanding action against those responsible, Class-III and Class-IV employees held a procession on Monday. They came to the director’s chamber on Tuesday to submit a written memorandum.

Md Azim, president of the DMCH Class-IV Employees’ Association, said that they had come to submit the memorandum over the assault on Hanif but could not do so because doctors were occupying the director’s chamber.