Court Correspondent :
The High Court (HC) yesterday ordered the Bangladesh Medical College physicians to lift their strike within six hours.
The HC also issued a rule asking them as to why ‘using patients as hostages during a strike’ should not be declared illegal. The Health Secretary and the Director General of Health were also asked to respond to the rule within next four weeks.
The High Court Bench comprising Justice Quazi Reza-Ul Hoque and Justice
Mohammad Ullah pronounced the decision on Tuesday, after an initial hearing on a writ petition seeking an end of the strike. The petitioner was represented at the hearing by lawyer Yunus Ali Akhand. The State was represented by Deputy Attorney General Tapas Kumar Biswas.
The physicians called a strike on March 14 after one of their fellows, a doctor was transferred from the hospital in Dhanmondi to another of Uttara in the capital, told Yunus Ali Akhand, lawyer of the physicians told the media people after hearing.
Bangladesh Medical College has a hospital with 1,000 beds. Many patients were reportedly deprived of treatment because of the strike. Even the Emergency Section of the hospital was not working, source said.
Besides, the strike was allegedly called before the matter was discussed with the administration and the sufferings of the untreated patients went against law and morality.
For this, the founder of the institution, Prof Neaz Ahmed Chowdhury lodged a writ petition with the HC against the strike on Monday. The court ordered the Government and the Health Directorate Director General to investigate the case of the transfer. As per the court order, the investigation report has to be submitted within a week.
The High Court (HC) yesterday ordered the Bangladesh Medical College physicians to lift their strike within six hours.
The HC also issued a rule asking them as to why ‘using patients as hostages during a strike’ should not be declared illegal. The Health Secretary and the Director General of Health were also asked to respond to the rule within next four weeks.
The High Court Bench comprising Justice Quazi Reza-Ul Hoque and Justice
Mohammad Ullah pronounced the decision on Tuesday, after an initial hearing on a writ petition seeking an end of the strike. The petitioner was represented at the hearing by lawyer Yunus Ali Akhand. The State was represented by Deputy Attorney General Tapas Kumar Biswas.
The physicians called a strike on March 14 after one of their fellows, a doctor was transferred from the hospital in Dhanmondi to another of Uttara in the capital, told Yunus Ali Akhand, lawyer of the physicians told the media people after hearing.
Bangladesh Medical College has a hospital with 1,000 beds. Many patients were reportedly deprived of treatment because of the strike. Even the Emergency Section of the hospital was not working, source said.
Besides, the strike was allegedly called before the matter was discussed with the administration and the sufferings of the untreated patients went against law and morality.
For this, the founder of the institution, Prof Neaz Ahmed Chowdhury lodged a writ petition with the HC against the strike on Monday. The court ordered the Government and the Health Directorate Director General to investigate the case of the transfer. As per the court order, the investigation report has to be submitted within a week.
