Cancer treatment facilities planned in all divisional cities

The government has decided to establish a National Molecular Biology Laboratory and develop cancer treatment facilities in every divisional city to advance medical research and improve cancer care, State Minister for Health and Family Welfare Dr MA Muhit said on Friday.

He made the announcement while addressing the opening ceremony of the Sixth Bangladesh Breast Cancer Conference 2026 (BBC26) at a city hotel in Dhaka.

The Bangladesh Society for Breast Cancer Study (BSBCS) organised the conference.

The state minister placed particular emphasis on the early detection of breast cancer, saying many women in Bangladesh seek medical attention only after the disease has reached an advanced stage.

He warned that delayed diagnosis increases the risk of complications and allows cancer to spread to other parts of the body.

“Cancer is no longer an incurable disease. Particularly in the case of breast cancer, if it is detected at a very early stage and treated properly, the mortality rate is very low, and patients can live healthy lives for many years,” he said.

Muhit called for greater public awareness and regular screening programmes targeting women in specific age groups. He said proper screening could help identify risks and symptoms at an early stage.

Outlining the government’s plans to improve cancer treatment, he said advances in molecular biology were bringing significant changes to cancer care worldwide.

The proposed National Molecular Biology Laboratory would support the development of advanced medical science, including cancer biology. Work on the initiative had already begun, he added.

The government was also taking steps to provide cancer institutes with modern equipment and develop skilled specialists through training programmes at home and abroad, the state minister said.

BSBCS President Prof Dr Qamruzzaman Chowdhury chaired the inaugural session. The organisation’s General Secretary Dr Arunangshu Das outlined its activities over the past year and explained the conference theme.

BSBCS Organising Secretary Dr Md Arifur Rahman delivered the welcome address.
UNFPA Bangladesh Representative Catherine Breen Kamkong and US experts Prof Dr Ismail Jatoi and Prof Dr Don S Dizon attended as special guests. BSBCS patrons Prof MA Hai and Prof Dr Md Sanawar Hossain also spoke.