The Doctors’ Association of Bangladesh (DAB) has strongly condemned recent remarks by Dr. Asif Nazrul, Adviser to the Interim Government on Law, Justice, and Parliamentary Affairs, accusing him of maligning the country’s physicians and demanding a public apology.
DAB President Prof. Dr. Harun Al Rashid and Secretary General Dr. Md. Zahirul Islam Shakil described Nazrul’s comments as “derogatory and deeply disappointing.
In a statement released Saturday evening the DAB leaders asserted that comments made by b Dr. Nazrul undermined the sacrifice and service of thousands of medical professionals across the nation.
The controversy stems from a recent statement by Dr. Nazrul, in which he suggested that “many doctors in Bangladesh work to serve the interests of pharmaceutical companies rather than those of their patients,” even questioning whether some physicians act as “agents or middlemen” for drug firms.
DAB criticized the remarks as damaging to public trust and disrespectful to a profession that has risked much—particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoing dengue outbreaks.
“Doctors, despite inadequate pay and dangerous conditions, have continued to serve selflessly from rural clinics to urban hospitals,” said the DAB leaders.
They also recalled the pivotal role of doctors during the mass protests of July last year, stating that many medical professionals provided emergency care to injured demonstrators despite threats of reprisal from security forces. “It is ironic and unjust that an adviser serving in a government born of that very protest would now insult the medical community,” the DAB leadership added.
“We demand that Dr. Asif Nazrul explain his remarks and issue a formal apology. If necessary, we are prepared to launch strong protest programmes to uphold the dignity of the medical profession,” the statement concluded.