The head of the Ear, Nose and Throat department at Dhaka Medical College Hospital, Professor Md Asadur Rahman, was attacked by a group of assailants in Dhaka on Monday night and admitted to hospital with serious injuries.
The 55-year-old physician was attacked at around 11.30pm after leaving his private chamber at the Popular Diagnostic Centre in Shantinagar. He was preparing to board a CNG-powered auto-rickshaw to return to his home in Mohammadpur when several people allegedly stopped the vehicle and assaulted him with locally made weapons.
Asadur Rahman sustained injuries to his head, eyes and nose. He was subsequently taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital, where he remains under treatment.
Rashedul Islam, an employee of Popular Diagnostic Centre who accompanied the injured doctor to the hospital, said the incident took place after Asadur had finished seeing patients at the centre’s Shantinagar branch, located in Building No. 3.
According to Rashedul, four or five people stopped the auto-rickshaw as the doctor was getting into it and attacked him. He said he could not identify the attackers or determine what had prompted the assault.
Police have arrested one person in connection with the incident, according to Mostafa Kamal Khan, officer-in-charge of Paltan Police Station. A case has also been filed over the attack.
Police said the arrested individual claimed that the assault stemmed from dissatisfaction over the treatment of a patient. The suspect reportedly told investigators that he was a friend of the patient and that the patient’s relatives and acquaintances were angry because they believed the doctor had provided “wrong treatment”.
Police, however, have cautioned that the allegation has not yet been established. Mostafa Kamal Khan said the claim came from the patient’s associates and that investigators needed to examine the circumstances more thoroughly before determining the actual motive behind the attack.
“This is the statement of the patient’s relatives. We believe the matter requires further investigation. We are continuing our work,” the officer said.
No statement was immediately available from Professor Asadur Rahman regarding the incident as he remained under medical care. Hospital officials and those accompanying him also declined to comment on the circumstances of the attack.
The investigation is expected to focus on identifying the other people involved, establishing what led to the confrontation and determining whether the allegation concerning the patient’s treatment had any factual basis. Police will also need to establish the precise roles of those involved in the assault.
The incident has brought renewed attention to the safety of doctors and other healthcare professionals, particularly when disputes arise over medical treatment. Allegations of negligence or inappropriate treatment can be investigated through medical and legal procedures, while violence against healthcare workers constitutes a separate criminal matter. In this case, police have yet to establish the full sequence of events or confirm the motive conclusively.
Investigators are continuing to gather information as Professor Asadur Rahman receives treatment at Dhaka Medical College Hospital. Further action against those involved will depend on the findings of the ongoing investigation.
