Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer and opposition leader Shafiqur Rahman has condemned the alleged assault on the director of the Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR), calling for a proper investigation and punishment of those responsible.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, Shafiqur alleged that the director was assaulted inside his office after a group of people entered his room.
Citing sources, he claimed that activists of the Doctors Association of Bangladesh (DAB), an organisation of pro-BNP physicians, were involved in the incident, which reportedly took place around 11am.
“If such a mob can be formed recklessly in broad daylight even within a highly educated and specialised section of society, one can only wonder which direction the country is heading,” he said.
Shafiqur said a series of untoward incidents had taken place recently, adding that the damage caused by vandalism and looting at Radda Medical Centre was still fresh.
Against this backdrop, he accused DAB leaders and activists of being involved in an incident that he described as a dark chapter in the history of healthcare in Bangladesh.
He termed the alleged assault a criminal act and a serious breach of limits, stressing that the incident must be investigated properly and those responsible brought to justice.
“Unless the incident is properly investigated and justice is ensured, the fragile healthcare system will not be able to recover,” he said.
