Roundtable discussion on the theme ‘Time to prevent violence is now; Say no to violence against doctors’

Bangladesh Medical University, BMU, Monday, April 27, 2026, at the Martyr Dr. Milton Hall, on the occasion of Doctors Week 2026, various organizations of doctors and the Doctors Week Celebration Council organized a roundtable discussion on the theme ‘Now is the time to prevent violence; Say no to violence against doctors’. In the meeting, expert discussants emphasized the formulation and implementation of appropriate health care and safety laws, zero tolerance to violence, and ensuring minimum facilities for young doctors, including a safe workplace. In the meeting moderated by Vascular Surgeon Dr. Saqlain Russell, Vice Chancellor of BMU Professor Dr. FM Siddiqui, in his speech, emphasized on increasing communication skills to prevent violence against doctors, providing necessary training to handle the situation and forming special teams, listening carefully to the patients and their relatives, etc., and also emphasized on ensuring the necessary facilities and services, including minimum salary, for young doctors working in various places, especially in the private sector. BMU’s Pro-Vice Chancellor (Academic) Professor Dr. Md. Nazrul Islam, in his speech, emphasized the importance of ‘Need Based Assessment’ in higher medical education. Renowned urologist and Health Affairs Secretary of Bangladesh Nationalist Party BNP, Professor Dr. Mohammad Rafiqul Islam, said in his speech that 55 percent of doctors in Bangladesh work at risk at work. In addition to having to handle the additional patient pressure, there are incidents of violence against doctors. Doctors are often subjected to sexual harassment at work. Many doctors have become victims of violence and have broken down mentally. To overcome this situation, it is necessary to formulate and implement appropriate health care and safety laws, including a zero tolerance policy towards violence. BMU Dean Professor Dr. Md. Saif Ullah Munshi said, “Earning the trust of the patient is important. It is necessary to maintain ethical standards to protect the dignity of doctors. If there is a promise not to personally accept any unethical money related to the medical profession, the respect of patients for doctors will be strengthened.” BMU Dean Dr. Sakhawat Hossain Sayant said, “Honest discussion and evaluation are needed to protect the interests and safety of doctors, health workers, and patients. The doctor-patient relationship will be friendly, which needs to be ensured with equal understanding from both the doctor and the patient.” Professor Dr. Syed Md. Akram Hossain, Chairman of the Department of Clinical Oncology, said that we must work together to protect doctors and patients.
Renowned rheumatologist Professor Dr. Md. Syed Atiqul Haque said, there is no alternative for doctors to acquire knowledge relentlessly throughout their lives. Along with keeping themselves up to date, emphasis should be placed on evidence-based medicine practice. Journalist Shishir Morol said, there is a word associated with service, which is Shushrasha. It is necessary to remember this word Shushrasha or the desire to listen. Another issue is that journalists also need to be provided with necessary training on how to report news related to violence against doctors or treatment and patient death. Because it involves many things including science. At the same time, it is necessary to provide accurate information about the incident quickly. If there is a mistake, it is better to admit it, regardless of the party. Other speakers said, there are deaths caused by disease. There are natural deaths caused by treatment. Journalists need to be responsible in ensuring that media trials do not take place by blaming doctors for the death of a patient without any proper evidence. All doctors provide medical services to save the patient’s life, not to kill the patient. Therefore, any kind of violence is undesirable. At the same time, junior doctors must be ensured a safe workplace, as well as necessary salaries and facilities. Various types of harassment and harassment against doctors must be stopped. The organizers say that this year, Doctors’ Week is being celebrated from April 24-30, 2026. The sacrifice, hard work, and sense of responsibility that doctors in this country have been showing in building the health sector of Bangladesh despite thousands of limitations is truly unique. The main driving force behind maintaining this fragile health system is doctors, who are providing the highest level of service despite limited resources in line with globalization. However, unfortunately, a proper recognition system for doctors has not been developed yet. In addition, insecurity is suffocating this unrecognized health system. Every year, numerous acts of violence are happening against all categories of health workers, including doctors. It is desirable that the state pays its utmost attention to the safety of doctors and health workers, patient safety, or the safety of health facilities. In addition, the medical community is keeping this promise as always that patient safety is the highest priority. The health sector of Bangladesh has been moving forward strongly for hundreds of years, relying on the talent and thinking of doctors. We believe that our unity will one day become a beacon of positive change in this healthcare sector. Edited by Dr. Saiful Azam Ranju.