Structural shortcomings, safety lapses, and potential negligence led to the deaths of six newborns at Ad-din Medical College Hospital, according to a health ministry probe report submitted Wednesday.
Ministry officials confirmed the findings were handed over to Health Minister Sardar Md Sakhawat Hossain on Wednesday, ahead of an official media briefing scheduled for Thursday at 4pm.
Committee head Md Mohsin, who also serves as the joint secretary of the ministry’s private health management sub-section, confirmed the submission to TIMES on Wednesday.
Syed Abu Ahammad Shafi, Deputy Director (Hospital) of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) and the committee’s member secretary, emphasised the thoroughness of the investigation.
“We treated this case with the utmost priority as a matter of national importance,” Shafi said, adding that the DGHS committee would formally present the report to the minister on Thursday.
While both officials declined to disclose specific details due to confidentiality, a committee member speaking on the condition of anonymity revealed that the investigation had actually wrapped up days earlier.
“We completed the inquiry a few days ago but decided to hold it back briefly to interview the victims’ families and verify our findings,” the source said.
The source indicated that legal action has been recommended given the severity of the offenses, though they declined to provide further details.
To ensure a solid legal framework, the committee was expanded on Monday to include Deputy Attorney General Al Faisal Siddiqui.
The preliminary findings pinpointed multiple structural issues in the hospital’s post-operative ward, including construction defects and severe safety weaknesses.
Specifically, investigators focused on critical systems like the oxygen supply, ventilation, temperature control, and overall ward management.
Doctors, nurses, and hospital staff were all questioned to investigate potential medical negligence.
Furthermore, Fire Service and Civil Defence officials revealed that the 700-bed facility had been operating without an approved fire safety plan and had failed to renew its fire safety license since 2023.
Despite receiving explicit instructions in January to submit a safety plan within three months, the hospital reportedly ignored repeated warnings.
The probe report highlighted that structural flaws, such as narrow corridors and poor ventilation, significantly heightened emergency risks.
Health Minister Sardar Md Sakhawat Hossain struck a firm tone, promising strict accountability.
“There is no scope for leniency regarding the deaths of six children at Ad-din Medical College Hospital due to negligence,” the minister told reporters. “The highest legal action will be taken based on the investigation report.”
He noted that while the absence of autopsies might create a legal loophole for the hospital, the government will still factor in separate findings from RAJUK regarding unauthorised structures when taking action.
The tragedy unfolded on the night of 27 May, when six newborns died in rapid succession in the post-delivery ward of Ad-din Medical College Hospital. At the time, 11 mothers were present in the ward; six newborns aged between one and three days were rooming with their mothers, while five others were receiving treatment in the neonatal intensive care unit.
The sudden deaths immediately triggered multiple investigations and a wave of legal actions.
Criminal proceedings are already underway, with Ramna Police Station confirming that a case has been filed by Habibur Rahman, the father of one of the deceased infants.
Ramna Police OC Ashique Iqbal told TIMES on Wednesday that the investigation is actively ongoing.
In tandem with the police case, Supreme Court lawyer Ishrat Hasan issued a legal notice on 27 May to the health secretary, the DGHS, and the hospital director.
The notice demanded swift departmental and criminal action, alongside financial compensation for the affected families. It gave recipients 72 hours to disclose what steps were being taken, warning of further legal action if the deadline was ignored.
The hospital is operated by the Ad-din Foundation, a non-profit entity established in 1980 by the prominent Bangladeshi industrialist Sheikh Akijuddin. Today, it is managed by his son, Dr Sheikh Mohiuddin, who serves as the foundation’s executive director. Under its umbrella, the foundation operates eight hospitals, four medical colleges, a nursing college, three nursing institutes, an institute of medical technology, and two mobile operation theatres.
