City’s CKD hospital alleges extortion attempt
Allegations of extortion and attempts to create a “mob” using political identity have been raised against a local individual at the CKD & Urology Hospital in Shyamoli, Dhaka, where renowned physician Professor Dr Kamrul Islam has reportedly performed over two thousand kidney transplants free of charge.
It has been learnt that a person named Moin Uddin, introducing himself as a local Jubo Dal leader and prospective councillor, had allegedly been harassing hospital authorities for a prolonged period and demanding financial and business-related benefits.
At a press conference held at the hospital on Saturday (11 April) at noon, Dr Kamrul Islam made the allegations while describing the situation following 5 August. He said Moin Uddin had been pressuring the hospital to award supply contracts for various goods.
According to Dr Kamrul Islam, without any formal agreement, Moin Uddin began supplying rice and eggs to the hospital at prices at least Tk 10 per kilogram higher than market rates.
“This is not a commercial establishment; rather, it is a place that provides services at low cost. So when we decided to purchase goods directly from the market, Moin became furious,” he said.
The allegations further state that on Friday (10 April), at around 9:45am, Moin Uddin entered the hospital premises and caused disruption.
He allegedly chanted provocative and indecent slogans and attempted to create a “mob” inside the hospital, creating panic among patients and medical staff. It is also claimed that he had previously entered the hospital on 29 March and threatened staff members.
Following the incident, a General Diary (GD No. 2266) was filed at Sher-e-Bangla Nagar Police Station on 30 March. However, hospital authorities expressed dissatisfaction, saying no effective action had yet been taken.
After reports of a demand for Tk 5 lakh and allegations of extortion at the hospital were broadcast, Jubo Dal central president Abdul Monayem Munna and general secretary Mohammad Nurul Islam Nayan visited the CKD Hospital at around 1:30am on Friday night. They met Dr Kamrul Islam and assured him of security.
Following an internal review, Jubo Dal General Secretary Nurul Islam Nayan said Moin Uddin was not a member of the organisation. “He is committing misdeeds by exploiting the name of politics.
Our top leadership has made it clearly known that a zero tolerance policy will be followed in cases of such extortion. We have already requested RAB to arrest him,” he said.
Expressing his anguish at the press conference, Dr Kamrul Islam said, “When we informed local leaders, they said this young man does not listen to anyone. It even seemed to us that the police are afraid of him. If the police are afraid, where will ordinary people go?”
It is noted that over the past 17 years, more than two thousand successful kidney transplants have been carried out at the hospital. Patients and staff are provided with three meals a day free of charge. Medical professionals and concerned citizens have expressed deep concern over alleged political interference and intimidation targeting such a humanitarian healthcare institution.
Dr Kamrul Islam also expressed gratitude to political leaders and the administration for their swift response, while calling for an extortion-free environment to ensure uninterrupted healthcare services.
