A wave of anger and anxiety has swept through the daily wage employees at Sir Salimullah Medical College (SSMC) Mitford Hospital in Dhaka. Over fifty staff members staged a human chain protest outside the hospital director’s office on Tuesday afternoon, 19 May. The demonstration was organised to protest against the abrupt termination of three colleagues and a systemic pattern of administrative harassment, irregular salary disbursements, and financial exploitation.
Following the demonstration, the aggrieved employees submitted a formal written petition to the hospital director demanding immediate reinstatement of the terminated staff and a comprehensive investigation into institutional corruption.
Background of the Dismissals
According to the protesting workers, the hospital administration recently issued an official directive terminating three long-serving daily wage employees:
Mr Md Fazlur Rahman (Pathology Department)
Mr Md Alal Hossain (Office Assistant)
Mr Md Billal Mozumder (Cleaning Staff)
The workers revealed that the sackings were triggered by an internal dispute regarding forced financial contributions. Employees reported that the hospital accountant, Mr Md Jahidur Rahim, systematically coerced them into paying money under the pretext of facilitating the release of their long-withheld salaries. He reportedly claimed that additional funds were necessary to cover “processing expenses” at the Deputy Director’s (DD) office and the Ministry of Finance.
Desperate to receive their outstanding wages before the Eid festival, the workers gathered contributions of 200 Taka per person, totalling approximately 36,000 Taka across December and January. When the transaction was subsequently discussed within a private Messenger group chat, a screenshot of the conversation was leaked to the administration. The involved workers were summoned and assured that they would face no repercussions. They were promised their identification cards and permission to return to work; however, the following morning, they were handed formal termination letters instead.
Institutional Exploitation and Wage Grievances
The protest shed light on severe structural irregularities within Mitford Hospital’s administrative framework. Mr Ali Hossain, an employee in the Clinical Pathology department who joined the institution in 2019, testified that daily wage workers have suffered from chronic payment delays for years. Salaries are routinely withheld for periods spanning two to three months, and on several occasions, five to six months.
Furthermore, the workers highlighted a significant discrepancy between their working hours and their actual remuneration, alongside coercive financial practices orchestrated by the accounts department.
| Administrative Grievance | Specific Details and Figures Registered by Staff |
| Affected Workforce | Approximately 120 daily wage employees. |
| Duration of Unpaid Wages | Ranging regularly between 2 to 3 months, up to 5 to 6 months. |
| Official Daily Wage Rate | 800 Taka per day. |
| Exploitative Labour Cycle | Personnel are forced to work 30 days a month but are only paid for 26 days. |
| Initial Bribery Demand | 500 Taka per worker demanded by the accountant to expedite files. |
| Negotiated Settlement Rate | Mutually agreed down to 200 Taka per worker out of financial desperation. |
| Total Coerced Fund | Approximately 36,000 Taka collected during December and January. |
| Accused Administrative Official | Mr Md Jahidur Rahim (Hospital Accountant). |
Final Demands and Ultimatum
The employees strongly refuted any allegations of extortion or misconduct on their part. They clarified that the funds were pooled in good faith solely to navigate the administrative deadlock created by the accounts department. Facing unprecedented financial hardship due to soaring commodity prices, many of these workers—who serve as the sole breadwinners for their households—acted out of sheer economic survival.
The written petition submitted to the director formally requests that the administration reconsider the dismissals on humanitarian grounds, reinstate the three terminated individuals, and initiate a transparent inquiry into the actions of the accountant. The protesting staff concluded their demonstration by issuing an ultimatum: if their demands are not addressed swiftly, they will launch more rigorous industrial actions and escalate the matter directly to the highest levels of government.