By Sabrina Khan (Dhaka Bureau)
The stability and accessibility of healthcare are fundamental pillars of any sustainable, humane society. At the heart of this system are the healers- the doctors and clinicians whose work brings relief and care to millions. However, when geopolitical or domestic political polarization invades the domain of medicine, it is the ordinary citizens who pay the ultimate price. In Bangladesh, a nation of 180 million people, recent administrative changes and political transitions have swept through the medical sector, affecting several of its most senior and celebrated clinical leaders. This shift has raised urgent questions about institutional continuity, human rights, and the future of public health.
From the perspective of nonviolent journalism, addressing structural conflicts requires looking beyond immediate political actions to examine their root causes and long-term humanitarian consequences. When political alignment becomes the primary lens through which professional merit and decades of service are evaluated, the entire knowledge ecosystem of a developing nation faces severe disruption.
Expert Legacies Caught in Political Shifts
The shifting administrative landscape in Bangladesh has directly impacted several senior physicians whose clinical work, teaching, and institutional leadership helped shape modern medical practice in the country:
* A Pioneer in Burn Care Displaced: Dr. Samanta Lal Sen is widely regarded as the architect of modern plastic surgery and specialized burn care in Bangladesh. Having served as a technocrat health minister during the previous administration, he was later detained in a legal case that his supporters describe as politically motivated. He subsequently left the country, leaving a noticeable gap in specialized medical leadership.
* Healing Beyond Borders: Prof. Dr. Pran Gopal Dutta, an eminent Ear, Nose, and Throat (ENT) specialist and former Vice-Chancellor of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU), received the country’s highest civilian honor, the Independence Award, in 2012 for his contributions to medical science. Currently residing outside Bangladesh due to legal proceedings tied to his tenure as a former Member of Parliament, he is reported to be teaching at a medical college in Tripura, India, while continuing to provide care to underserved border communities.
* Removed from the Institution He Built: Prof. Dr. Deen Mohammad, a senior neurologist and former Principal of Dhaka Medical College, was the founding Director of the National Institute of Neurosciences & Hospital- a specialized facility he actively helped establish. He was recently removed from his post, a decision that those close to him attribute to his perceived affiliations with pro-Awami League medical associations.
* The ‘300-Taka Doctor’ and the Emeritus Controversy: Prof. Dr. ABM Abdullah, a leading internal medicine specialist and former Dean of the Faculty of Medicine at BSMMU, is well-known across the country for charging a nominal fee of just Tk 300 to ensure lower-income patients could access top-tier care. Awarded the Ekushey Padak for his humanitarian services, he also served as the personal physician to the former Prime Minister. Recently, the authorities canceled his lifetime appointment as ‘Emeritus Professor’ and requested the return of the salaries and allowances received during his tenure in that role.
The Human Cost of Structural ‘Brain Drain’
Universal humanism asserts that healthcare, education, and science should remain independent of partisan shifts, serving as shared assets for the collective good. Medical expertise cannot be generated overnight; it requires decades of rigorous training, mentorship, and extensive institutional support. When senior clinicians are abruptly removed or compelled to leave the system, the generational transmission of clinical knowledge to young medical professionals is broken.
This lack of institutional stability and merit-based security has accelerated an ongoing crisis: the migration of skilled professionals abroad (Brain Drain). Each year, thousands of talented students and young doctors leave Bangladesh for higher education and professional opportunities overseas, citing the need for structural stability and genuine recognition of merit. For a developing country of 180 million, this outflow of talent represents a profound, long-term setback to public health capacity.
A Nonviolent Alternative: Separating Merit from Partisan Identity
While administrative changes are a standard part of democratic transitions, the continuity of vital public services demands a clear distinction between professional excellence and political identity. Medicine, science, and the arts belong to the entire human community, not to any single political era.
The ongoing discussion within South Asian medical and academic circles highlights a vital question: Can society learn to evaluate professional merit independently of political affiliations?
If highly experienced specialists are not retained, or if they cannot be replaced with equivalent expertise, the consequences will not be borne by political institutions. The impact will be felt most acutely by ordinary patients seeking advanced, life-saving treatment within their own country.
When a society allows political disputes to fragment the lives and careers of those who heal, it compromises its own well-being. Ensuring that medical expertise is nurtured, respected, and protected across political transitions is not just an administrative necessity- it is an urgent humanitarian priority for the future of Bangladesh.
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The Writer:
Sabrina Khan: Staff Correspondent, Pressenza- Dhaka Bureau.
