Physicians allege harassment by police during strict lockdown

On the first day of the seven-day nationwide strict lockdown, members of law enforcement agencies remained highly vigilant to make the lockdown effective.

They stopped everybody at various checkpoints at different intersections across the cities, and asked for movement passes and the reason why they came out of their homes.

Amid these tight restrictions, some physicians, who are key frontliners in the fight against Covid-19, have raised allegations of harassment on their way to and from workplaces.

Some physicians had to count fines while some were compelled to get off the ambulances, getting stuck on the road for up to two hours.

Physicians facing problems have posted in several groups of doctors describing the situation they faced.

The Foundation for Doctors Safety Rights and Responsibilities (FDRS) Joint Secretary General Rahat Anwar Chowdhury told the media that it was very important to make transport arrangements for the doctors during the lockdown.

Krishna Haldar wrote on the page of Bangladesh Doctors Foundation, "I had night duty at the Kuwait-Bangladesh Friendship Hospital last night. While returning on my private car in the morning, police stopped us at the Karwan Bazar signal and filed a case even after the driver showed my ID card.

The doctor further complained that the police had fined her and taken away all the papers. Later she did not even get the cooperation of the police.

She also mentioned that despite repeated attempts, she could not get the movement pass.

Another doctor- Riaz Mahmud Tamal complained that police stopped him at Tongi Station Road while coming from Tongi College Gate in Gazipur in the morning. As he showed his ICDDRB identity card, police reportedly told him that doctors are also barred from moving. At last they allowed him to go giving a warning that next time they will not spare. Police asked him to work staying at hospital.

The nurses working in the intensive care unit of Kurmitola General Hospital were in distress early in the morning. Shahzad Hossain Masum, a doctor in charge of the hospital's ICU, wrote, "The car with stickers of the health directorate was stopped by the police as it was carrying nurses from Tongi. Police said they would not let them go without a pass.

"When they called me, I informed the director. They introduced themselves as the staff of Covid ICU and requested many times but the police said they would not spare the vehicle without a movement pass. After being stuck for two hours, they reached the hospital," Shahzad Hossain Masum said.

Iftekhar, a doctor in the anesthesiology department at Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College Hospital, alleged that he was forced to get down from an ambulance at Farmgate. He was returning home after the end of his night shift. Later, the doctor walked seven kilometres to reach his home in Rampura.