Tender dispute behind stabbing of cancer hospital deputy director, 5 held: RAB

Investigators say the attack was ordered by a man named Rubel from Malaysia

The Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) has arrested five individuals for the stabbing of Ahmed Hossain, the deputy director of the National Institute of Cancer Research and Hospital (NICRH), claiming the attack was a "contract hit" triggered by a dispute over a hospital tender.

The elite force revealed on Tuesday that the assault was carried out for a mere Tk 20,000 on the orders of an individual, identified only as Rubel, who currently resides in Malaysia.

At a press conference held at the RAB Media Centre in Karwan Bazar, Lt Col Mohammad Neyamul Halim Khan, commanding officer of RAB-1, explained that a rivalry existed between Rubel’s firm, Uni Traders, and the Monayem Group over a specific procurement tender at the hospital.

The investigation suggests the attack was intended to "intimidate" the administration.

While the competition between the two firms is established, RAB officials could not yet confirm if Ahmed had any direct involvement or bias in the tender process.

"The nature of the attack suggests it was a deliberate attempt to instill fear," said MZM Intekhab Chowdhury, director of RAB’s legal and media wing.

The 50-year-old physician was stabbed around 3:30pm on Monday in the alley behind the old BRAC University building while returning home from work.

Two to three unidentified men struck him on his right arm and back before fleeing the scene.

Initially treated at NICRH, Ahmed was later transferred to Dhaka Medical College Hospital for further care.

Following the incident, the hospital’s administrative officer filed a case at Banani Police Station against eight to 10 unidentified suspects.

While police initially arrested two men, Yusuf Ali and Nesar Ahmed, late Monday night, RAB later conducted raids in South Khan, Badda, and Gulshan to pick up five more suspects.

Police sources previously noted that the victim had been receiving threats from a foreign phone number regarding the awarding of tenders.

As Ahmed is closely involved in the hospital’s procurement process, investigators focused on business rivalries.

Rubel, the alleged mastermind, is the son of a former staff member at the same hospital, which investigators believe gave him insider knowledge of the facility's administrative workings.