Masked Men Attack Vaccination Centre at Midnight
More than 250 masked men attacked the Radda MCH-FP Centre in Mirpur-1 around midnight on Thursday, vandalising and looting the facility before demolishing its entire premises.
Armed with local weapons, the attackers held two security guards hostage and looted medical equipment, medicines, vaccines, refrigerators, air conditioners, cash and other valuables. They later used heavy machinery to demolish one permanent and three semi-permanent buildings.
Dr. Nasrin Akhter, executive director of the Radda MCH-FP Centre, said Friday morning that the incident caused losses of around Tk 1.5 crore. The centre has been providing free primary healthcare, maternity and family planning services to poor and disadvantaged residents and children in partnership with the government for nearly 50 years. It has also been an important healthcare facility for women and children.
At around midnight, about 250 masked men attacked the clinic under the banner of the “Shommanona Dokandar Cooperative Society Ltd.” and subsequently took over the facility.
They took government EPI vaccines, vaccination registers and documents, family planning equipment and supplies, medicines, around Tk 11.4 lakh in cash, an ultrasonography machine worth around Tk 45 lakh, a generator, three refrigerators, three air conditioners, CCTV cameras, three steel cupboards, five steel filing cabinets, laboratory equipment and reagents, two televisions, two computers, two laptops, two printers, and various furniture.
They then demolished the entire facility, including one permanent and three semi-permanent buildings, with heavy machinery and put up a signboard bearing the name of the “Shommanona Dokandar Samity Ltd.” Dr. Nasrin alleged that the attack was carried out to seize the 10-katha plot.
There were also 17 makeshift shops along the road behind the wall. After learning of the attack, the shop owners rushed to the scene to remove their belongings. They were given 10 minutes to do so and managed to salvage what they could. The incident has caused panic among the clinic’s staff and local residents.
Meanwhile, the government’s measles-rubella vaccination campaign was scheduled to begin at the clinic on Saturday.
Dr. Nasrin Akhter demanded the immediate trial and exemplary punishment of those responsible. She said the attack was not merely on an institution but also on the healthcare rights of the country’s poor, children and disadvantaged people.
Shah Ali Police Station Officer-in-Charge Jahangir Alam said an attack and vandalism had taken place at an institution called Radda. He said Dr. Nasrin Akhter filed a case at around 2:15pm Friday against 200 to 250 unidentified people.
Protesting the attack and looting, the centre’s officials, employees and local residents formed a human chain around 5pm Friday, demanding the maximum punishment for those involved.
