Specialist doctors end work stoppage after government assurance

Specialist doctors call off their protest following a meeting with the chief advisor’s special assistant

Specialist doctors from the Bangladesh Civil Service, or BCS, (Health) cadre have called off their three-day work stoppage after receiving assurances from the government regarding their demands for fair promotions and the elimination of all forms of discrimination.

On Saturday, the doctors began demonstrating outside the director’s office at Dhaka Medical College Hospital as part of their protest, which involved a two-hour work abstention daily from 10am to 12pm until Monday.

However, they decided to end their protest after a meeting with Dr Sayedur Rahman, the chief advisor's special assistant, who assured them that their demands would be met. Sayedur said the process would begin once the finance ministry issued its approval.

"This will take 20 to 25 working days to complete. Overall, we have sought 12 weeks to fulfil your demands. Two ministries are involved in this matter. We are working with approval from the highest level. The process must be followed properly," he said.

After receiving this assurance, the specialist doctors' forum announced the withdrawal of their protest.

Previously, the forum had warned of intensifying their movement to an indefinite, full-day work stoppage from Tuesday if their demands remained unmet.

Dr Md Bashir Uddin, member secretary of the BCS (Health) Cadre Specialist Doctors’ Forum, said that they had met with the Chief Advisor’s Special Assistant Dr Sayedur Rahman on Friday night to discuss their concerns. He assured them that their demands would be addressed.

“Our protest will continue in all hospitals tomorrow. We will remain outside Dhaka Medical College Hospital. If the special assistant to the chief advisor comes and announces a clear timeline for our promotions, we will consider ending the protest,” said Bashir.

A statement issued by Dr Mohammad Al Amin on behalf of the specialist doctors’ forum on Friday outlined the protest programme.

According to the statement, specialist doctors in government hospitals are demanding fair promotions and the elimination of discrimination. During the two-hour strike each day, doctors will stage silent demonstrations, holding banners in front of hospitals. However, emergency services will not be disrupted.

The key demands include immediate and retroactive promotions for all eligible specialist doctors to uphold medical education standards and maintain global recognition of the MBBS degree, eliminating intra and inter-cadre discrimination, and timely promotions for all doctors who have reached Grade-3, ensuring they progress to Grade-2 and eventually Grade-1.

The forum warned that failure to address these demands could lead to a prolonged crisis in the country’s healthcare system.

Several other medical organisations, including the Bangladesh Society of Medicine, Society of Surgeons of Bangladesh, Society of Neurologists of Bangladesh, Society of Plastic Surgeons of Bangladesh, Association for the Study of Liver Diseases Bangladesh, The Chest and Heart Association of Bangladesh, and the Bangladesh Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons, have released separate statements in support of the protest.