HC orders arrest of United Hospital staff over sexual assault

The High Court (HC) yesterday directed police to arrest Saiful Islam, a staff nurse of United Hospital in Dhaka, for allegedly sexually harassing a female patient in the intensive care unit (ICU) of the hospital.
In a suo motu move, the HC bench comprising Justice Quazi Reza-Ul Hoque and Justice Abu Taher Md Saifur Rahman directed the police to produce Saiful Islam before the court on December 7.
The HC also issued a rule asking the authorities concerned to explain why legal and punitive action should not be taken against Saiful Islam and the hospital authorities over the incident.
The secretaries of the home and health ministries, the inspector general of police (IGP), the director general of health services, the deputy commissioner of the Gulshan zone of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP), the officer-in-charge of Gulshan police station, and the managing director of United Hospital have been asked to reply to the rule within seven days.
The HC bench came up with the order and rule following a report published in a national daily under the headline “United Haspatale nari rugi ke jouno nirjaton” (“Sexual harassment of a female patient at United Hospital”).
According to the report, the incident occurred on November 30 at the hospital, but it came to light on Wednesday.
The report stated that Saiful Islam allegedly “sexually abused” a female patient, who was undergoing treatment in the ICU. The patient had been admitted on Monday evening, the report said.
The victim called female nurses for help while she was allegedly being sexually harassed. However, the female nurses arrived half-an-hour late, and they requested the victim not to reveal the incident to anyone. Though she wanted to meet her husband, she was not allowed to do so at that time, the report said.
“I was not allowed to meet my wife for as long as 16 hours after her operation,” the victim’s husband said.
“The hospital authorities did not report the perpetrator to the police; rather, they advised me to file a case,” her husband alleged.
Meanwhile, Dr Safula Anwar, the chief of communications and business development at the hospital, said Saiful Islam has been sacked.

 

HC orders arrest of United Hospital staff over sexual assault

The High Court (HC) yesterday directed police to arrest Saiful Islam, a staff nurse of United Hospital in Dhaka, for allegedly sexually harassing a female patient in the intensive care unit (ICU) of the hospital. In a suo motu move, the HC bench comprising Justice Quazi Reza-Ul Hoque and Justice Abu Taher Md Saifur Rahman directed the police to produce Saiful Islam before the court on December 7. The HC also issued a rule asking the authorities concerned to explain why legal and punitive action should not be taken against Saiful Islam and the hospital authorities over the incident. The secretaries of the home and health ministries, the inspector general of police (IGP), the director general of health services, the deputy commissioner of the Gulshan zone of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP), the officer-in-charge of Gulshan police station, and the managing director of United Hospital have been asked to reply to the rule within seven days. The HC bench came up with the order and rule following a report published in a national daily under the headline United Haspatale nari rugi ke jouno nirjaton (Sexual harassment of a female patient at United Hospital). According to the report, the incident occurred on November 30 at the hospital, but it came to light on Wednesday. The report stated that Saiful Islam allegedly sexually abused a female patient, who was undergoing treatment in the ICU. The patient had been admitted on Monday evening, the report said. The victim called female nurses for help while she was allegedly being sexually harassed. However, the female nurses arrived half-an-hour late, and they requested the victim not to reveal the incident to anyone. Though she wanted to meet her husband, she was not allowed to do so at that time, the report said. I was not allowed to meet my wife for as long as 16 hours after her operation, the victims husband said. The hospital authorities did not report the perpetrator to the police; rather, they advised me to file a case, her husband alleged. Meanwhile, Dr Safula Anwar, the chief of communications and business development at the hospital, said Saiful Islam has been sacked.