Pro-Awami League doctors of government hospitals campaign for candidates in breach of rules

Members of Swadhinata Chikitsak Parishad or SWACHIP are campaigning for ruling party candidates in many constituencies for the Jan 7 general election

The law prohibits public servants from engaging in political activities or participating in election campaigns, but numerous government-employed physicians appear happy to disregard this restriction.

Members of Swadhinata Chikitsak Parishad or SWACHIP, the organisation of doctors loyal to the Awami League, are campaigning for ruling party candidates in many constituencies ahead of the Jan 7 general election.

In one seat, they are campaigning for their President Jamal Uddin Chowdhury, who is running as an independent after his failure to secure a party ticket.

Secretary General Kamrul Hasan Milon is also in the campaign for the Awami League despite being a government doctor.

He says he is unaware of the law on their participation in election campaigns.

Kamrul said they asked all units to work for the Awami League candidates because SWACHIP “is affiliated with the ruling party”, although SWACHIP is one of the three sister organisations of the Awami League.

Government doctors rarely face action for joining election campaigns.

A doctor of a government hospital in Narayanganj, who is also the wife of a candidate, faced a show-cause notice for joining the campaign. She returned to the campaign after submitting her explanation.

Professor Tofayel Ahmed, a local government expert, said people forget that the public servants have a service code.

Ashok Kumar Debnath, additional secretary at the Election Commission, said they did not get a complaint about the matter.

“Government employees don’t have the mandate to join election campaigns. We will examine if we receive any complaint.”

Members of SWACHIP took out a procession in Dhaka’s Agargaon on Dec 18, a day after the campaign began officially.

Doctors from nearby government hospitals, including the National Institute of Traumatology and Orthopaedic Rehabilitation, joined the procession at the office hours.

Many of them also shared videos of them shouting pro-government slogans and seeking votes on Facebook.

“As an affiliated organisation, we are instructed to join the campaigns. We’ll join the campaigns [as members of SWACHIP,” said Kamrul, who is a professor at the National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases.

Asked why he was joining the campaign although the law does not allow government doctors to do so, he said: “I’m not aware of that. I’ll see to that. Please send me the link [to the law].”

WHAT SWACHIP MEMBERS SAY

The Government Servants (Conduct) Rules stipulate that public servants are allowed to vote, but they cannot join politics or election campaigns.

But Dr Sudhir Chandra Pal, resident physician of Mymensingh Medical College and Hospital's cardiovascular diseases department, joined the campaign of Mohit Ur Rahman Shanto, the Awami League candidate for Mymensingh-4.

Dr Sudhir also posted on Facebook photos of him campaigning for Shanto.

The physician claimed campaigning under SWACHIP’s banner is not a violation of the law.

“We did it in the past, and we’re doing it again. The SWACHIP president is contesting in the election. In Mymensingh, the members of SWACHIP are campaigning.”

In Dhaka-13, Assistant Prof Dr Ayub Hossain, resident graduate Pritom Roy and some others of the Sheikh Hasina National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery are campaigning for Awami League candidate Zahangir Kabir Nanak.

Pritom shared photos of their campaign on social media. They campaigned in the Bosila area on Sunday and in ward 34 under Dhaka South City Corporation last Thursday.

Several doctors of government hospitals were with Pritom.

Pritom did not take phone calls for comments.

Dr Md Abu Raihan, deputy director of the government’s TB Hospital at Shyamoli, has put up banners and festoons in support of Asaduzzaman Khan, the Awami League candidate for Dhaka-10.

Raihan argued that he is campaigning as a member of SWACHIP, not as a government doctor.

He also said other associations of doctors have affiliation with the Awami League and other political parties.

CAMPAIGNING ON ‘WEEKENDS’

SWACHIP President Jamal is contesting for the Chattogram-3 constituency as an independent candidate.

At a meeting on SWACHIP’s founding anniversary on Dec 24, the Chattogram District and Chattogram Medical College Hospital units of the organisation decided that they would join Jamal’s campaign in Sandwip on Friday.

Those interested to travel to Sandwip were asked to contact Dr Ariful Amin and Dr Abul Hossain Shahin by Thursday.

Shahin said Secretary General Kamrul would also join a rally in Sandwip.

“They can go because the programme in Sandwip is scheduled to be held on a holiday. They can travel on holidays for other reasons than campaigning,” said Shahin.

DOCTOR RESUMES CAMPAIGN AFTER SUBMITTING EXPLANATION

Saima Afroze, the health and family planning officer of Araihazar Upazila, was asked by the election inquiry committee to explain why she joined the campaign of her husband Nazrul Islam Babu, the Awami League candidate for Narayanganj-2.

The committee also asked her why she should not face action for joining the campaign in breach of the rules.

Saima sent her explanation through a representative on Monday and resumed campaigning for Babu that afternoon.

Dhiman Chandra Mandal, chairman of the committee, said they would submit a report based on her explanation to the Election Commission.

He declined to reveal what Saima said in her explanation.