Doctors and health workers in Khulna have threatened to suspend medical services if attacks, vandalism and extortion targeting healthcare institutions and personnel are not stopped.
Doctors, nurses, officers and employees issued the ultimatum during a human chain and protest rally on Tuesday.
The programme began at 11:30am in front of the Bangladesh Medical Association (BMA) building near Satrasta Moar in Khulna city.
The demonstration was organised to protest repeated incidents of attacks, vandalism and extortion targeting doctors, health workers, hospitals, healthcare institutions and diagnostic centres across the metropolitan area.
Speaking at the event, participants said the ongoing incidents had left doctors facing constant harassment. They added that nurses, officers and employees were also living in fear due to frequent vandalism at various medical facilities.
The speakers stressed that all citizens depend on these institutions for medical treatment. They warned of launching an immediate and strong movement if law and order were not restored and the security of healthcare personnel was not ensured.
The rally was attended by Abu Zafar Mohammad Saleh, general secretary of DAB (Doctors Association of Bangladesh) at Khulna Medical, Mostafa Kamal, director of Khulna Medical College Hospital, and Kazi Ahsan Habib, assistant director of Khulna Medical.
Khulna Medical College Hospital physicians Mehedi Hasan and Taj Islam, along with nurses, officers and employees from various locations, also attended.
Meanwhile, Shafiqul Islam, Assistant Commissioner of Police (Khulna Zone) of Khulna Metropolitan Police, said no formal complaints had been filed over the attacks on healthcare institutions. However, police had already arrested several individuals after examining CCTV footage.
He said police remained active in the field to prevent such incidents from recurring and were prepared to take immediate action whenever an incident was reported.
