The number of patients and family members in Bangladesh who have suffered from medical negligence, misdiagnosis, or mistreatment while seeking care is far from small. Yet most of them do not know where to file a complaint, or whether any remedy is even available. A new citizens’ platform, the Healthcare Protection Movement (Sasthyaseba Suraksha Andolan), has launched to provide such victims with the information, guidance, advice and follow-up support they need to seek redress.
The platform formally launched at a discussion event held at the National Press Club on August 22, 2026. The event outlined that the movement aims to build a simple support framework covering where and how to file complaints on any medical issue, which treatment records need to be preserved, and where to access necessary legal or institutional support. Barrister Sara Hossain spoke on policy guidance for victims and the broader context for action. Barrister Rashna Imam addressed medical negligence from a legal and practical standpoint. Altaf Parvez outlined the background and relevance of the issue. Nibin Reza and Mazharul Islam, the platform’s convener and member secretary, formally announced its launch. Members of affected families also shared their experiences at the event.
Altaf Parvez said the severe lack of safety and public trust in the country’s healthcare system has driven many to seek better care abroad, while most people are forced to remain within this fragile system. Barrister Rashna Imam said Bangladesh currently lacks an effective legal framework for delivering swift justice in cases of medical negligence, and that a law commission linking doctors and hospitals should be formed so that problems and solutions can be addressed together. She added that the government should also examine whether hospitals face resource shortfalls and whether they are properly meeting the conditions of their licenses. Barrister Sara Hossain advised that care be taken to ensure victims who are left behind because of their socioeconomic position can also become part of this movement, and that the media make every effort to disseminate accurate information.
The event noted that the platform’s goal is not simply to receive complaints, but to build a system in which every complaint is heard and verified fairly, affected individuals find a path to the support they need, and the lessons of each case help improve patient safety in the future. The initiative said it aims to give weight to both patients’ rights and doctors’ professional dignity.
Speakers said doctors and health workers in Bangladesh face significant pressure, while there remains a large gap between the number of people who have experienced medical negligence or mistreatment and the number of formal complaints filed. Many patients and families do not know where to complain, what evidence or documents to keep, or how to follow up after filing a complaint. The platform aims to work to close this information and support gap.
Organizers said a complaint does not in itself constitute proof of medical negligence. But hearing every complaint, verifying it impartially, and ensuring redress where warranted are integral parts of a safe healthcare system, they said. The platform is not positioned against any individual, doctor or hospital, they said, but against negligence, ambiguity and gaps in accountability.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report