With a demand of immediate arrest of Naimuzzaman Sheikh, assistant sub inspector of Satkhira Police and withdrawal of the case filed against Dr Nishat Abdullah, assistant professor of Plastic Surgery Department of Shaheed Sheikh Abu Naser Specialised (SANS) Hospital within seven days, Khulna physicians called off their strike on Saturday.
President of Bangladesh Medical Association (BMA) of Khulna unit Dr Sheikh Baharul Alam announced the decision in presence of the journalists after holding a joint meeting with Awami League leaders and physicians at BMA building in Khulna on Saturday morning.
Alam, urged the physicians to join their respective hospitals and work places considering the huge sufferings of the patients. Mayor of Khulna City Corporation (KCC) Talukder Abdul Khaleque, organizing secretary of central AL S M Kamal Hossain, additional director (administration) of the Directorate of Health Dr Rashida Sultana, general secretary of Khulna unit of BMA Dr Mehedi Newaz, were present at the meeting.
On March 1, Khulna doctors went on the ‘strike’ protesting the ‘attack’ on Dr Nishat Abdullah, allegedly by the policemen and others.
Healthcare services came to a grinding halt at all government and private hospitals, except for emergency care, in the city and district due to the strike, causing immense sufferings to the patients and others.
Earlier, on February 25, Dr Sheikh Nishat Abdullah, was allegedly physically assaulted, by a patient’s relatives including ASI Naim, at a nursing home at Sheikhpara area in the city during a surgery.
Protesting the attack, the Khulna unit BMA, decided to observe a 24-hour work abstention from Wednesday to Thursday morning.
Dr Nishat Abdullah filed a case with Sonadanga Police Station in this connection on February 28 while Nusrat Ara Moyna, wife of ASI Naim, also filed another case against Dr Nishat and Nurul Haque Fakir, owner of Haque Nursing Home, regarding sexual abuse with the same police station.
Meanwhile, ASI Naim who was earlier posted at a Police Station in Satkhira, was attached to the district police line after his withdrawal from the work place on Thursday.
Nusrat Ara Moyna, wife of the policeman, held a press conference on Thursday at Khulna press Club seeking the intervention of the government to resolve the problem saying, “I have video footage of that night which shows no evidence of assault and vandalism.”
Moyna also demanded justice for “harassment of her” and implicating Naim in a “false case.”
