Newborn dies after ambulance blocked by 'syndicate' in Shariatpur; 1 arrested

Police have arrested the prime accused in a case filed over the death of a newborn, who died after an ambulance carrying him was blocked for one and a half hours, allegedly by a group of local ambulance drivers in Shariatpur.

The accused, Sabuj Dewan, was arrested today (16 August) from the Chikondi area of sadar upazila with the assistance of Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), said Palong Model Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Helal Uddin.

He said the victim's father, Noor Hossain Sardar, filed a case with Palong Model Police Station on Friday night, naming four individuals.

The case was filed on charges of "obstructing and causing death due to negligence," he said, adding that efforts are underway to arrest the other accused.

The incident occurred on Thursday when an ambulance carrying the critically ill newborn to Dhaka was stopped by members of an "ambulance syndicate" in Shariatpur at the district town's Chourangi intersection.

According to family sources, the baby was born at a local clinic that afternoon. Soon after birth, he developed breathing complications and other health issues, prompting doctors to advise immediate transfer to Dhaka for advanced treatment.

The child's father, Noor Hossain, said he hired an ambulance from outside the district because of lower fares.

"I did not know hiring an ambulance from outside would create problems. I am a poor man and chose it because it was cheaper. But because of the Shariatpur ambulance syndicate, I lost my son," he said.

According to media reports, the family hired an ambulance for Tk5,000 to transport the child, but the vehicle was intercepted by local driver and businessman Abu Taher Dewan and his son Sabuj Dewan, who allegedly refused to allow any ambulance other than their own to operate. Abu Taher also works as the driver for the Shariatpur civil surgeon.

Witnesses said the duo forcibly snatched the keys from the Dhaka-bound ambulance driver and physically assaulted him. When relatives tried to intervene, they too were allegedly assaulted.

"We begged them to let the ambulance go, but they refused. They grabbed the driver by his collar and took away the keys. Later, our baby died inside the ambulance," said the infant's relative Ranu Akter.

The ambulance driver, Mosharaf Mia, said he had travelled from Dhaka and was hired by the family to transport the child.

"The baby's condition was critical, so I started the ambulance quickly. But a group of men came, pulled me out by the collar, and snatched the keys. At one point, I told them to take the patient themselves, but the family insisted I drive. After more than an hour and a half, they still wouldn't release me, and the baby died inside the vehicle," he said.

Since the incident, the availability of ambulances at Shariatpur Sadar Hospital has dropped significantly, with only one or two seen operating.