Report says action against senior doctors is eroding institutional stability and accelerating brain drain in Bangladesh….reports Asian Lite News Desk
Senior medical professionals in Bangladesh are increasingly facing administrative action, legal proceedings and removal from key positions following the country’s political transition, raising concerns over institutional stability, human rights and the future of public healthcare, according to a report published by Dhaka-based news agency Pressenza.
The report argues that evaluating medical professionals primarily through the prism of political affiliation rather than professional merit risks undermining decades of institutional development and weakening Bangladesh’s healthcare system.
It notes that several of the country’s most distinguished physicians, who have played pivotal roles in clinical practice, medical education and institution-building, have been affected by the recent political changes.
Among them is Dr Samanta Lal Sen, widely recognised as a pioneer of modern plastic surgery and specialised burn treatment in Bangladesh. After serving as a technocrat Health Minister under the previous administration, he was detained in a legal case that his supporters claim is politically motivated. He has since left the country, leaving what the report describes as a significant void in specialised medical leadership.
The report also highlights the case of Prof. Dr Pran Gopal Dutta, an eminent ear, nose and throat (ENT) specialist and former Vice-Chancellor of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU). A recipient of Bangladesh’s Independence Award in 2012 for his contribution to medical science, Dutta is currently living outside Bangladesh amid legal proceedings linked to his tenure as a former Member of Parliament. According to the report, he is now teaching at a medical college in India’s Tripura while continuing to provide healthcare services to underserved communities along the border.
Another senior physician mentioned is Prof. Dr Deen Mohammad, a renowned neurologist and former Principal of Dhaka Medical College, who was instrumental in establishing the National Institute of Neurosciences and Hospital. The report says he was recently removed from his position, with those close to him attributing the decision to his perceived association with pro-Awami League medical organisations.
Prof. Dr ABM Abdullah, one of Bangladesh’s most respected internal medicine specialists and a former Dean of the Faculty of Medicine at BSMMU, has also been affected. Known for charging a nominal consultation fee to make quality healthcare accessible to low-income patients, Abdullah received the prestigious Ekushey Padak for his humanitarian contributions and also served as the personal physician to former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. According to the report, authorities recently revoked his lifetime appointment as Emeritus Professor and sought recovery of the salaries and benefits paid during his tenure.
The report argues that healthcare, science and education should remain insulated from political shifts, stressing that medical expertise is built over decades through education, mentorship and institutional support. Removing experienced clinicians from the system, it says, disrupts the transfer of knowledge to younger generations of doctors and weakens the country’s medical institutions.
It further warns that the perceived lack of institutional stability and merit-based recognition is accelerating Bangladesh’s brain drain, with thousands of talented students and young doctors leaving the country each year for higher education and professional opportunities abroad. For a developing nation of nearly 180 million people, the continued loss of skilled healthcare professionals could have serious long-term consequences for public health, the report concludes.
