The High Court has directed the authorities concerned, including the Bangladesh Medical and Dental Council (BMDC) and Inspector General of Police (IGP), to search out fake doctors as well as unregistered medical practitioners in the country.
The HC bench of Justice KM Kamrul Kader and Justice Mohammad Ali issued the order on Tuesday (December 6) following a writ petition filed to tighten the rules against medical scams and fake doctors.
The HC bench asked the BMDC to submit a probe report in this regard within the next 90 days.
The higher court also issued a rule seeking to know why the punishment should not be more than three years for those who practice medicine without registration.
It was also said in the rule that why the failure of the defendants to increase the punishment for fake doctors - from a three-year jail term and Tk 1 lakh fine to life imprisonment and death penalty with added fine - should not be declared illegal.
Two secretaries of the law ministry, secretary of the health ministry, the president and registrar of BMDC, and the director general of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) were asked to respond to the rule.
Advocate JR Khan Robin, a lawyer of the Bangladesh Supreme Court, filed the writ petition with the High Court, seeking its directive on the government to amend the relevant law, enhancing punishment for fake doctors who deceive patients and put their health at risk.
In the writ petition, it was also sought for directions on why no recommendation should be made to increase the sentence.
The writ petition was filed to amend Sections 28 (3) and 29 (2) of the ‘Bangladesh Medical and Dental Council Act-2010’ and reform the punishment for unregistered physicians to life term and death sentence, with an aim to protect the health and safety of the countrymen.
According to the existing provision of the law, the punishment for such an illegal act is only three years’ imprisonment and fine of Tk one lakh which is inadequate.