20 brokers sentenced to jail in crackdown at CMCH
The mobile court, led by Executive Magistrate Shahid Ishraq, issued the sentences on the spot
A total of 20 brokers were arrested during a major crackdown at Chattogram Medical College Hospital (CMCH) as part of an anti-broker drive conducted by the district administration's mobile court.
During the drive, 17 of the brokers were sentenced to various terms of imprisonment, two were fined, and one was given both types of punishment.
The arrests were made today (25 June) during raids conducted by the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) in different wards of the hospital.
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The mobile court, led by Executive Magistrate Shahid Ishraq, issued the sentences on the spot.
"These brokers were involved in everything—from influencing prescriptions to manipulating bed allocations. That's why a large-scale operation was necessary," Shahid told The Business Standard.
"Sentences ranged from a minimum of one day to a maximum of one month of simple imprisonment. Fines were also imposed. We chose these punishments as a warning. One of the arrested individuals had already served 10 days in jail previously," Shahid added.
According to hospital sources, brokers have long been active in the CMCH premises, often facilitating patient access to hospital beds and coordinating illegal patient transfers to private clinics.
Brigadier General Mohammad Taslim Uddin, director of CMCH, said, "Broker networks have been active here for a long time. We've taken several steps to free the hospital from their grip. We welcome and encourage such operations. We hope these drives continue."
