The corridors of Sher-e-Bangla Medical College and Hospital in Barishal tell a story that has become all too familiar in Bangladesh’s public healthcare system.
From brokers demanding money for hospital trolleys to shortages in medicines, diagnostic tests, and basic cleanliness—such conditions have long been the “normal” in government hospitals. But this month, students and citizens of Barishal decided they had had enough.
For 17 consecutive days, they have staged demonstrations with a six-point demand for sweeping health sector reforms. Their movement, centred around the city’s largest hospital, has already forced authorities to make significant changes yet tensions remain high, with clashes, political overtones, and warnings of sabotage.
Demands met, but protest continues
Sher-e-Bangla Medical College Hospital, a historic institution in southern Bangladesh, is at the heart of the standoff. Authorities say they have accepted all six demands, with some reforms already implemented and others in progress under short- and long-term plans.
But protesters insist that promises are not enough. They now demand the personal presence and assurance of a health adviser to the interim government.
“We know the director is doing what he can, but manpower recruitment and infrastructure upgrades are the Health Ministry’s responsibility,” said movement spokesperson Navid Asif. “Our only demand now is that the adviser himself should be here to say, ‘We are running the activities.’ Until then, the movement will continue.”
Political undercurrents and clashes
The protests have not remained free from political influence. Intelligence agencies claim that figures linked to the “fallen dictatorship” have joined the demonstrations, possibly to exploit the unrest.
One such episode occurred when Sarwar Talukder, speaking in solidarity with the protesters, ended his remarks with the slogan “Joy Bangla.” Students promptly detained him and handed him over to police.
In another incident, protesters clashed with transport workers at the Nathullabad Central Bus Terminal, disrupting bus services in and out of Barishal . Earlier, on August 10, internal disputes among protesters at Barishal Government Brajmohan College escalated into a late-night brawl, leaving at least 10 people injured, including prominent activist Mohiuddin Roni.
The mix of student activism, local grievances, and outside interests has created a volatile atmosphere. “They want to create an unpleasant situation with the adviser present,” a Health Ministry source warned.
A changed hospital overnight
Yet, despite the political noise, the protest has already delivered visible results.
During a visit to the hospital, Jago News correspondent Arif Shaon observed a dramatic change: Corridors and toilets scrubbed clean, volunteer trolley-pullers accused of extortion removed, and 90 Harijan community members hired temporarily for cleaning.
Eight automatic cleaning machines are now in operation, with 12 more due by September’s end. Twenty spray machines have been deployed for sterilisation. Doors and windows of toilets are being replaced, and 100 ceiling fans have been installed.
“All volunteer trolley men have been expelled,” said Hospital Director Brigadier General Dr AKM Mashiul Munir. “We have hired government staff for these roles and repaired or replaced all trolleys. Seven monitoring teams now operate in shifts to oversee both inpatient and outpatient services.”
Cracking down on brokers and corruption
The administration has also intensified its crackdown on hospital brokers, hawkers, and pharmaceutical representatives who previously roamed the wards unchecked.
“Anyone posing as a patient broker or diagnostic centre agent is being arrested on sight,” said Dr Munir. Several staff members, including a ward master, have been suspended following complaints. Complaint boxes have been installed across the hospital, with action promised on all submissions.
Infrastructure improvements are also underway: 100 new patient beds have been ordered, the fire safety system is being upgraded, and damaged elevators will be repaired.
Big projects back on track
Long-delayed projects have gained urgency under the glare of public scrutiny. A 460-bed cancer, kidney, and heart disease treatment centre, still under construction, is scheduled for completion by March 2026. The Barishal Children’s Hospital is also racing toward a December handover.
The hospital has requested additional doctors, technicians, and support staff from the Health Ministry, along with advanced equipment such as tele-therapy units and MRI machines.
Repairing broken equipment
The protests have also prompted action on long-neglected equipment. A five-member technical team from Dhaka’s National Electro Medical Equipment Maintenance Workshop arrived on August 13 to repair devices ranging from ECG machines to CT scanners.
According to the hospital’s instrument branch, emergency repairs are underway for cardiac monitors, defibrillators, and other critical devices. More complex machines, including cath labs and optical coherence tomography systems, will be restored in phases.
A hospital overwhelmed
Sher-e-Bangla Medical College Hospital was built in 1968 for just 500 beds. Decades later, the infrastructure remains largely unchanged, yet the daily patient load has exploded.
On average, 700 new patients are admitted daily meaning around 3,000 inpatients are treated in wards meant for a fraction of that number. Outpatient visits average another 3,000 per day, with each patient often accompanied by multiple relatives. In all, more than 24,000 patients and visitors pass through the hospital daily, alongside 500 doctors, 1,000 nurses, hundreds of staff, and thousands of students and service providers.
The result is overcrowded wards, patients lying on floors and balconies, and toilets and public spaces struggling under the weight of numbers.
Reasonable demands, flawed tactics
Civil society leaders acknowledge the legitimacy of the protesters’ grievances but question their approach.
“The demands are logical,” said Rafiqul Alam, Barishal unit secretary of Citizens for Good Governance (SUJON). “But blocking roads day after day causes suffering for ordinary people.”
He pointed to deeper structural issues: insufficient senior doctor involvement, corruption among Class IV employees, flawed procurement processes, and medicines diverted through smuggling or nepotism. “These problems cannot be solved in three days,” he noted.
The ministry’s stance
Health Ministry officials say they are committed to fulfilling the demands but reject the insistence on an adviser’s personal presence.
“If you go to one place today, tomorrow everyone will demand the same,” a ministry spokesperson said. “We must prioritise implementing the reforms. Intelligence sources have also confirmed the presence of agitators with political motives, so we are proceeding carefully.”
Between reform and risk
The Barishal hospital movement is now at a crossroads. On one hand, it has achieved tangible changes in hygiene, staffing, equipment repairs, and anti-corruption measures – improvements that might have taken months or years without public pressure.
On the other, it has opened the door to political interference, internal disputes, and public inconvenience, with the looming risk of violence.
As work continues on the ground, the central question remains: will these reforms survive beyond the protest’s headlines, or will the momentum fade once the crowds disperse?
For now, the students are holding their ground, the hospital is cleaner than ever, and the eyes of Barishal, and the nation, remain fixed on what happens next.