The Health Ministry has taken disciplinary action against Bagerhat's civil surgeon, Dr Jalal Uddin Ahmed, by making him an officer on special duty (OSD) after he recently ended a speech with the "Joy Bangla" slogan during a government vaccination program.
The order was formalized in a notification signed by Shobhan Rangsaa, senior assistant secretary of the Health Services Division, on Sunday.
According to the notification, Jalal will officially be released from his duties on Sunday and will join the health directorate as an OSD on Monday.
This decision follows an incident on October 24, when Jalal spoke at a vaccination event against the human papillomavirus (HPV) at Bagerhat Government Girls' School, attended by Deputy Commissioner Ahmed Kamrul Ahsan.
His remarks ended with the slogan "Joy Bangla," which sparked local protests after a video of the incident went viral on social media.
In response to the outcry, locals demanded Jalal's removal, leading to protests organized by the Bagerhat district unit of the BNP and its youth wing on the same day.
Further demonstrations occurred on October 27, outside the deputy commissioner's office, where participants reiterated their calls for his dismissal.
Since Thursday night, Jalal has not been appearing at the office. Sources say that he is currently not in Bagerhat, however, he has attended government meetings in Dhaka as a civil surgeon during this time.