The government has launched an investigation into the sudden deaths of six newborns at Ad-Din Medical College Hospital in the capital's Moghbazar, amid heavy allegations of institutional negligence, soaring commercial costs, and infrastructural flaws.
The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare formed a high-level, three-member committee on Wednesday, headed by the joint secretary of private healthcare management. The panel has been ordered to determine the cause of death and submit its findings within three days. Health Minister warned that strict legal action will follow if any negligence is proven.
Professor Prabhat Chandra Biswas, Director General of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), visited the site on Wednesday and confirmed that five more infants remain in critical condition at the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). Law enforcement sources reported that some of the infants' bodies had turned blue, indicating severe respiratory or systemic failure.
DGHS officials revealed a chaotic timeline leading up to the tragedy. According to Prof. Biswas, a parent reportedly requested the ward's air conditioning be turned off at 2:00 PM because an infant felt cold. The AC remained off for at least an hour. By 4:00 PM, the first child fell severely ill and was rushed to the NICU, only to be returned to the general ward after partial stabilization. By 6:00 AM the next morning, a nurse discovered that multiple infants had died. Criminal Investigation Department (CID) forensic and technical experts have been deployed to examine the hospital's AC systems and electrical infrastructure for potential gas leaks or power failures.
Distraught relatives have pointed out massive systemic lapses. Parents alleged that hospital staff hid the deteriorations, delayed critical ICU admissions, and barred fathers and families from viewing the infants—a restrictive policy that families claim masked the developing crisis. One grieving relative shared that doctors desperately attempted resuscitation on an already deceased child while demanding the family clear pending medical bills.
The tragedy has also revived fierce public scrutiny over Ad-Din Hospital's commercial operations. Founded in 1980 under the non-profit Ad-Din Foundation—with historic links to the Akij Group and family members of former interim government adviser Sk. Bashir Uddin—the institution allegedly exploits its tax-exempt charity status while charging commercial rates. Low-income families, who travel from remote rural districts for affordable healthcare, complained that delivery bills have surged from Taka 8,000 to over Taka 35,000 in recent years.
Dr. Rafiqul Islam, the BNP’s health affairs secretary, called for a rigorous forensic audit of the hospital's CCTV footage, patient logs, and building code compliance, noting that an accurate cause of death cannot be definitively established without formal post-mortems.
