World Evidence-Based Healthcare Day-2025 was celebrated for the first time Monday, October 20, 2025, with various events including rallies, discussions, seminars, e-poster presentations, scientific paper presentations, debates, etc., at the initiative of Bangladesh Medical University (BMU) with the support of Oxford University. In all these events, knowledgeable speakers emphasized on ensuring the rights of patients by encouraging the practice of evidence-based medicine and ensuring qualitative changes in the healthcare sector. The knowledgeable speakers expressed their hope that it is possible to bring about major changes in the development of the overall health sector by encouraging the practice of evidence-based medicine, ensuring the provision of scientifically correct medical services, and improving the quality of medical services, medical education and research. If evidence-based decision-making can be implemented at every level of research, medical services and education activities, it will be possible to build a fair and efficient health system, which will further strengthen the trust of the people. Bangladesh Medical University hopes that this initiative will open new horizons for qualitative change in the country’s health sector. This time, the main theme of the day was ‘Collaborative Knowledge Communication – Reflects the Very Essence of Modern Healthcare and Education: Collaborative, Inclusive and Built on Taste’.
The inaugural ceremony, including the rally, was attended by the chief guest, Professor Dr. Md. Sayedur Rahman, Special Assistant to the Honorable Chief Advisor (State Minister rank). The event was presided over by the  Vice-Chancellor of BMU, Professor Dr. Md. Shahinul Alam.
Speaking as the chief guest at the inaugural ceremony held at the lecture hall of BMU’s Super Specialized Hospital, Honorable Principal Advisor’s Special Assistant (State Minister rank) Professor Dr. Md. Sayedur Rahman said, BMU will lead the way as a medical university. BMU’s research will be such that it will generate evidence. Guidelines will be prepared based on that evidence. BMU’s teachers, doctors, and students will have to take themselves to the level of wisdom, which will elevate BMU to an international standard institution. The current government is committed to transforming the society, nation, and country into a science-oriented, welfare-oriented, merit-based society. It is desirable that BMU and everyone associated with it contribute to this transformation.
In his speech, Vice Chancellor Professor Dr. Md. Shahinul Alam said, those who stand for truth and justice are few in number. Still, we have to stay on the path of truth and justice and continue. Most patients want to be included in decision-making. In evidence-based healthcare, patients are on one side and science is on the other. Here, the doctor has to provide the best medical service with his wisdom through various combinations. It has been proven that it is possible to reduce the death rate and avoid unnecessary tests in evidence-based healthcare. If evidence-based medicine is encouraged, the crisis of trust that has arisen between patients and doctors will be eliminated. Citizens’ interest in healthcare will increase. This system is important for this reason. Everyone will know what medicine or test has been given to any patient in any condition. Doctors, residents and junior faculty will also be able to know why the professor gave this medicine. They will also be able to verify the level of knowledge of the doctors and understand how appropriate the knowledge they are acquiring is. The job of doctors is to constantly acquire new knowledge and expand knowledge. It is not enough to just stay in the past, but to keep yourself updated by constantly acquiring knowledge. He said, a remarkable achievement has been made in Bangladesh in the field of evidence-based healthcare. Bangladesh Medical University has been officially recognized as the Evidence Ambassador for the year 2025 by the World Evidence-Based Healthcare Day. This international recognition has placed BMU among the renowned institutions in the world, which are working to develop evidence-based healthcare. This recognition as an Evidence Ambassador reflects BMU’s unwavering commitment to research, medical excellence, and information-based decision-making.
The special guest at the inaugural ceremony was Professor Dr. Saeba Akhtar, Honorable Chairman of BMRC. She said that the practice of evidence-based medicine is essential for sustainable and effective healthcare.
The distinguished guests delivered speeches including BMU Pro-Vice Chancellor (Administration) Professor Dr. Md. Abul Kalam Azad, Pro-Vice Chancellor (Research and Development) Professor Dr. Md. Mujibur Rahman Howlader, Treasurer Professor Dr. Nahrin Akhtar, Registrar Professor Dr. Nazrul Islam, Proctor Dr. Sheikh Farhad, and others.
They said, as first-class citizens, doctors should not prescribe drugs that undermine the standards of the profession. They should ensure that patients do not fall victim to deprivation, fraud and negligence. The pledge on Evidence-Based Medicine Day 2025 is to ensure patient rights by providing medical services through the acquisition of appropriate knowledge, and to work tirelessly to eliminate the negative attitude of the general public towards the medical community.
The welcome address was delivered by Dr. Deen-e-Mujahid Mohammad Faruk Osmani, Additional Director of the Institutional Quality Assurance Cell (IQAC), and Prof. Dr. Nurun Nahar Khanam, Director of IQAC.
Other speakers at the event said that evidence-based medical practice is essential to keep Bangladesh’s healthcare system sustainable and affordable. If treatment is ensured in the light of accurate information and research, it is possible to significantly reduce unnecessary medical expenses. Evidence-based healthcare is a scientific way to save people’s money and ensure national health security in the long term. To build an affordable and efficient healthcare system, evidence-based methods are of utmost importance in controlling incorrect prescriptions, unnecessary tests, and antibiotic misuse.
The second phase of the program included e-poster presentations, master presentations, fellow presentations, etc. In the master presentation, important papers were presented by former chairman of the Department of Biochemistry, Professor Dr. Md. Mozammel Haque, and Professor Brigadier General Professor Md. Ahsan Habib, Professor of International Medical College.
The third part of the program was a debate titled ‘Evidence Based Healthcare Practice in Bangladesh: Hopes and Despair’. The chief guest of this program was the Honorable Chairman of UGC, Professor Dr. SMA Faiz. The special guest was the President of BMDC, Professor Dr. Mohammad Saiful Islam. The judges were Professor Dr. Md. Abul Kalam Azad, Professor Dr. Md. Abdus Shakur, Professor Dr. Chowdhury Meshkat Ahmed. The keynote presentation on ‘Evidence Based Medicine and Clinical Audit’ was made by Professor Brian Angus of the University of Oxford. Finally, the program ended with the distribution of certificates and crests.
It is noteworthy that eminent liver disease specialist Professor Dr. Md. Shahinul Alam has taken various steps to improve evidence-based healthcare since assuming office as the Vice-Chancellor of Bangladesh Medical University (BMU). Various training workshops on Evidence-Based Medicine have already been held under the initiative of the Institutional Quality Assurance Cell (IQAC) with the support of the university and this program is ongoing. More than 150 respected faculty members of BMU and its affiliated institutions have already been trained on Evidence-Based Medicine. Evidence-Based Medicine Practice will play a role in reducing medical costs and it will be possible to avoid major differences in the prescriptions and investigations of different doctors for the same patient. In addition, evidence-based medicine has great importance in science-based medical practice, including acquiring the necessary knowledge on medical audit and clinical audit, which will play a role in bringing about major changes in the development of the overall health sector through increasing the quality of medical services, medical education and research. In that context, World Evidence-Based Healthcare Day 2025 is particularly significant. Edited by Dr. Saiful Azam Ranju.