IEDCR director says DAB members barged into his office, manhandled him

The director of the Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR) Prof Kazi Ahmed Zaki has accused members of the BNP-backed Doctors Association of Bangladesh (DAB) of assaulting him inside his office.

Zaki said the incident took place around 11am on Wednesday. He did not elaborate on what prompted the alleged attack.

A public health expert and an IEDCR official, speaking anonymously, said several DAB members entered the director’s office while he was working and “physically assaulted” him.

CCTV footage obtained by bdnews24.com shows Zaki meeting staff when several people enter the room. They appear to pull him from his chair and push him by the neck towards the exit.

Others in the room intervene and usher the visitors out, after which Zaki returns to his seat, according to the footage.

Asked about the allegations, DAB Secretary General Dr Zahirul Islam Shakil said he had heard about the incident and acknowledged that members had gone to the office to ask about internal matters.

On the alleged assault, he said the organisation would take disciplinary action if the claims were found to be true.

Zaki was appointed IEDCR director after the BNP formed the government. A public health specialist, he recently conducted research into the effectiveness of measles vaccines.

Alongside his role at the institute, Zaki has worked on public health with international organisations, including the World Health Organization and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

He previously served as an assistant professor at Shaheed Syed Nazrul Islam Medical College and as a senior scientific officer at the IEDCR.