Three people including two intern doctors of Rajshahi Medical College Hospital (RMCH) were accused in an assault case filed by a freedom fighter from Chapainawabganj's Shibganj upazila.
The accused have been identified as Shobhon Saha, 24, Abdur Rahim, 25, both intern doctors and Moktar Hossain, 58, an administrative official of the hospital.
The case has been filed by freedom fighter Ishak Ali at Rajpara police station of Rajshahi city on Saturday, confirmed Golam Ruhul Kuddus, deputy commissioner of Rajshahi Metropolitan Police.
In the morning of September 2, Ishak's wife Parul Begum was admitted to the emergency ward of the RMCH. Due to contradictory directions by a doctor and then the nurses, the family had to change wards three times, according to the case statement.
The ward admission process took an hour, while Parul was not given any treatment. Around 8:45am that day, the on-duty doctor of the hospital declared Parul dead.
Rakibul Islam, alias Liton, son of Ishak and Parul broke into tears over his mother’s death and loudly complained about "poor medical services" of the hospital.
During this, the accused people in the case began to punch and kick at Rakibul and when Ishak tried to rescue his son he too was assaulted.
"They began pulling my beard, punched me and kicked me on the chest after slamming me on the floor. The assault became severe despite me telling them that I am a freedom fighter. The accused then called 20 to 25 other intern doctors, who again beat us up and kept us locked up in ward no 46." Ishak says in the case.
"Upon being informed, police rescued us. They (intern doctors) held my wife's body for five hours and forced us to apologise, footage of which they recorded and spreaded on the internet,” Ishak added.
Monon Kanti Das, general secretary of the intern doctors' council of RMCH, claimed: "After their patient died, they were shouting in the ward and making inappropriate comments towards the nurses. When a doctor told them to leave the hospital, Rakibul assaulted him, which ensued a chaos."
Freedom fighters form human chain over the assault by intern doctors
Meanwhile, on Saturday, freedom fighters under the banner of Rajshahi city unit Bangladesh Muktijoddha Sangsad formed a human chain at the Shahebbazar area of the city over the incident.
Freedom fighters at the human chain, said: "The wife of the freedom fighter died due to doctor's negligence at RMCH. Some intern doctors are responsible behind the attack to the freedom fighter and his son and we want justice served. If justice is not ensured, freedom fighters would commit suicide by setting themselves on fire."
Commenting on the matter, RMCH Deputy Director Dr Saiful Ferdous said: "A three-member probe committee has been formed to investigate the incident and steps will be taken after that."