Bogura: Five leaders of the Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD), the student wing of the ruling party BNP, have been permanently expelled for their involvement in an attack on intern doctors at Shaheed Ziaur Rahman Medical College Hospital (SZMCH). This disciplinary action has led to the intern doctors temporarily withdrawing their work abstention after nearly 40 hours of protest.
According to United News of Bangladesh, the decision to expel the JCD leaders came alongside assurances from authorities to bolster hospital security and take disciplinary measures against those responsible for the attack. The intern doctors announced their decision to return to work at around 4pm on Thursday, following a lengthy meeting with representatives from the district administration, police, hospital authorities, BNP, and local JCD leaders.
The withdrawal announcement was made by intern doctor Ritul Mondal Snigdha after a three-and-a-half-hour discussion held in the hospital's conference room. Despite the protest causing significant disruption, including the closure of outpatient ticket counters, the emergency department remained operational.
In an effort to address the situation, an emergency meeting was convened at the SZMCH auditorium on Thursday afternoon. Key attendees included Bogura Deputy Commissioner Toufikur Rahman, Police Superintendent Mirza Sayem Mahmud, hospital Deputy Director Dr Manzur-e-Morshed, senior BNP leaders, and representatives from the Bangladesh Medical Association (BMA).
During the meeting, the demands of the intern doctors were thoroughly deliberated. Hospital Deputy Director Dr Manzur-e-Morshed confirmed that disciplinary action had been taken against the attackers, meeting a primary demand of the interns. Furthermore, plans to deploy armed Ansar members and establish a continuous police presence at the hospital were initiated.
The conflict originated on Tuesday night when a confrontation erupted between intern doctors and the relatives of a deceased patient, Abdul Malek, in the hospital's medicine ward. The doctors reported being attacked with Burmese knives and iron rods, resulting in injuries to at least 21 intern doctors and damage to hospital property.
In response to the incident, a case was filed at Bogura Sadar Police Station on Wednesday, naming seven individuals and several unidentified persons for alleged vandalism and theft. Police have arrested six individuals, who have been remanded to jail by the court.