IEDCR Director beaten in office

A mob forcibly entered the office of the Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR) and physically assaulted its Director, Professor Kazi Ahmed Zaki, inside his room on Wednesday morning.

The incident occurred around 11:00 AM at the IEDCR premises. Some members of a doctor’s group formed a mob and carried out the attack.

Video footage of the incident shows 8 to 9 individuals barging into the director's room while he was holding a meeting. The intruders dragged Professor Zaki from his chair and began beating him.

IEDCR is a key government institution responsible for monitoring disease trends, conducting epidemiological research, and issuing health alerts in collaboration with international bodies like the World Health Organization (WHO) and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Professor Zaki, a public health expert who recently conducted research on measles vaccine efficacy, was appointed as director under the present administration.

President of an association of the doctors, professor Harun Al Rashid confirmed the incident, alleging that Professor Zaki was at fault for holding a meeting in his office with Dr Meerjady Sabrina Flora, a former director of IEDCR and high-ranking official during the deposed Awami League regime.

An eyewitness health expert present during the assault noted that the attackers were outsiders who had not been seen at IEDCR before.

Former IEDCR chief scientific officer Mushthtaq Hossain strongly condemned the violence, calling for an immediate investigation and punishment for the perpetrators. Professor Zaki confirmed he is taking official legal and administrative measures regarding the assault.

-SA