Barguna MP Rimon 'beats up' health complex clerk over 'paying truant doctor'

Showkat Hasanur Rahman (Rimon), a ruling MP from Barguna, has allegedly beat up a clerk of Patharghata Upazila Health Complex during a meeting over reports that a doctor of the hospital draws salary without working there.

The Barguna-2 MP has not denied the allegation of assaulting Nurul Islam at the Awami League's Patharghata office on Wednesday night.

Nurul said the MP got angry when he said he had nothing to do with Dr Shahnaz Parveen drawing Tk 584,000 as annual salary without doing her shifts at the hospital for a year since her appointment.

"The Upazila health officer looks after the matter (of pay). When I started explaining the matter, the MP got angry. He alleged it was my fault and started to beat me up," Nurul said.

He also said he has informed his superiors about the assault.

The MP said he had asked the Upazila health and family planning officer to serve a show-cause notice on the physician, Dr Shahnaz, and stop her salary.

"But the officer hasn't done that," he said.

Dr Shahnaz's phone was found switched off.

Patharghata Upazila Health Complex physician Anwar Ullah said the MP, as the president of the Upazila Health Management Committee, had called him and Nurul to speak about the matter.

"At one stage of the meeting, he got angry and beat up Nurul," he said.

Leaders of local units of the Awami League and its affiliates, who were present at the meeting, said the MP had to 'beat the clerk up to control the agitated people'.

The district's Civil Surgeon Md Jasim Uddin Howlader said he was unaware of Nurul being beaten up.

"But assaulting an employee of the republic is a criminal offence," he said.

He also said the divisional commissioner had been informed about Dr Shahnaz.

"She will face action after investigation," he said.