Five sent to jail over death of rickshaw puller 'denied treatment' during uprising
Delta Health Care director Prof Mohammad Saiful Islam claimed they could not treat the man because of gunshots outside the hospital and police threatening them
Five individuals have been sent to jail in connection with the death of a rickshaw puller who succumbed to gunshot wounds after allegedly being denied treatment at Delta Health Care hospital in the capital's Rampura during the July mass uprising.
The Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Court rejected their bail applications and ordered their imprisonment today.
Those jailed include Dr Sadi Bin Shams, a medical officer at Delta Health Care, Marketing Officer Hasan Mia, maintenance staff Borhan Uddin, and security guards Ismail and Nazim Uddin.
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State lawyer Omar Faruq Faruqi said that on 19 July 2024, Ismail, the rickshaw puller, crawled to the stairs of Delta Health Care after being shot by police in Rampura. However, no one from inside the hospital came to help him.
On Friday night, Hatirjheel police arrested the five individuals on charges of medical negligence. The court later sent them to jail based on an application. However, the accused were not produced in court that day, the lawyer added.
A photo of the deceased went viral on Facebook, leading to arrests that have sparked backlash from the medical community. Prof Mohammad Saiful Islam, director of Delta Health Care, issued a statement defending the hospital's actions.
In a press release today, Dr Saiful described the events of 19 July. "Gunfire erupted suddenly in front of our hospital around 4:30pm. One person was shot in the head and succumbed to his injuries. Despite the danger, our staff attempted to bring him into the hospital for treatment. We have video evidence of this."
Dr Saiful further claimed that law enforcement was firing at the hospital, with one bullet piercing through the duty doctor's Panjabi and hitting the hospital wall. "The law enforcement officers then removed the body, threatening us with firearms," he said.
Attempts to file a complaint with Hatirjheel police station were unsuccessful, Dr Saiful noted. "Later, protesters took the body with them. When we filed a written complaint at the police station, it was rejected."
He added that during the July-August protests, Rampura was one of the most volatile areas. "Delta Health Care provided free medical services to injured protesters. We, who risked our lives to support the movement, are now being harassed and accused. While the real killers remain unpunished, innocent people are being blamed five months later. This is both unfortunate and disappointing."
Doctor leaders have called for a fair investigation into the incident.
Dr Nirupom Das, administrator of the Bangladesh Doctors' Foundation, told TBS, "Every death is tragic. We have seen reports saying a rickshaw driver died in the incident. From what we know, it does not seem like any doctor or nurse is to blame. If doctors or nurses are arrested, we insist on a fair investigation. We hope the investigation will uncover the truth and hold the responsible individuals accountable."
