Radda health service center turns into a war ruined building
Broken glass, bricks, woods and bottles, vaccination syringe pieces, medicines, prescriptions of patients were piled as rubble.
In first sight it seemed that it is a war ruined building which become destructed after bomb attack of an enemy force.
But, the real story is, this destructed building was a health service center.
The health service center’s name is ‘Radda MCH-FP Center’ , a private health care center, situated in Mirpur-1, behind the Shah Ali shrine.
It was providing health services for more than the last four decades.
The health care center was destroyed in the dark night. Now it turned into a fully destroyed building.
Under the pile of broken bricks, wood, and glass pieces, there are torn medical prescriptions, emergency papers, medicines, and vaccines for children. In addition, large tree branches of three mango trees cut down and left on the site of the ruined rooms. It may seem that something happened to the place as a result of an enemy attack. However, this is not the case, as the pile of rubble is all that is left of the health center.
A private healthcare institution called Radda MCH-FP Centre was located on this site. This center served the local community of Shah Ali Mazar in the Dhaka district for more than forty years. It was situated in section 1 of Mirpur. Following its demolition in the middle of the night, it became a pile of rubble.
More than 200 masked men who arrived at the health center with heavy equipment in the middle of the night on Thursday, September 24, broke it down, stealing many valuable items. Armed individuals vandalized the establishment, leaving the remains of the destruction.
Since 1976, this center has provided primary health care, family planning services, and maternal health care to the community. In addition, the center implemented the government’s free vaccination program for children. Nevertheless, the attack in the middle of the night left the center without its main buildings. As a result, the provision of healthcare services to mothers and children has been disrupted.
The director of Radda, Dr. Nasrin Akhter, described the events to the press and recalled that the attack began around midnight. About 200-250 masked men with locally made firearms arrived at the center and took two guards hostage, tying their hands and legs.
In addition, the abductors robbed the health center of many valuable items. After that, armed to the teeth men drove away in trucks, having previously destroyed the center’s building with a bulldozer. Two signboards indicating the Like-minded Shopkeepers Cooperative Society were hung on the ruins, as residents reported.
It is noteworthy that this attack was not preceded by any notification from the authorities. The organization’s director estimated the damage caused to the center at about Tk1.5 crore due to the destruction of buildings and the theft of many items.
Among the stolen goods are about Tk11.40 lakh in cash, medicines, and vaccines worth Tk5 lakh that were intended for free use. In addition, thieves took an ultrasound machine worth Tk45 lakh, a generator, several refrigerators, air conditioning systems, closed-circuit television surveillance systems, laboratory equipment, computers, printers, laptops, and file cabinets with documents.
One of the local residents, Sanaullah, told Asia Post that he heard a noisy disturbance and went out to investigate. However, he was confronted with the sight of many people with locally made firearms, so he returned home.
“I returned in the morning and saw the unfolding of events. People have long been receiving low-cost, high-quality treatment at the health center, so its destruction will lead to suffering for many. If there is a dispute over the ownership of the house, it can be solved through legal proceedings. However, such an obvious destruction of property cannot be justified,” Sanaullah said.
According to Sammona Dokandar Samabaya Samity’s documents published in the newspaper, the National Housing Authority allocated the land to this organization in 2006. In addition, the registration of ownership was completed in 2021. However, this group was unable to occupy the house due to the patronage of the previous Awami League government.
Dr. Nasrin Akhter complained to the Shah Ali Police Station about the attack, running the risk of a criminal case. The director namedMd Hanif Mia, a local BNP leader, and 200-250 unknown individuals as suspects in the attack.
The prime accused in this case, Md Hanif Mia, denied the accusations against him, saying that he was unaware of what happened to the health center.
Meanwhile, the police initiated an investigation, which led to the detention of four men. On Friday evening, the Shah Ali Police Station detainedMd Sohel, Md Jewel, Jihad Hasan, and Md Rabbi.
Jahangir Alam, the Officer-in-Charge of Shah Ali Police Station, noted that these men confessed to the crime, becoming involved in it for personal gain. According to Alam, most of those detained are known in the Shah Ali Mazar locality as “floating individuals”.
At the same time, it is not clear why the police did not detain anyone during the demolition of the health center, despite the large group of people present there. The Health Minister Sardar Md Sakhawat Hossain strongly condemned the destruction of the vaccination center, calling it unwelcome. He pointed out that the government’s vaccination campaign will continue regardless of the attack.
The Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) Administrator, Shafiqul Islam Khan, responded to the attack by visiting the site of the damage. Khan emphasized that the DNCC does not support the demolition of a health center in such a way and under such conditions.
“If there is a dispute over the ownership of the house, it must be submitted to the court for consideration. The city administration will do everything possible to ensure that those responsible for this attack are brought to justice and the vaccination campaign is able to resume,” said Khan.