Bangladeshi Dr Ferdous Khandaker is based in New York and a Covid-19 survivor. Prior to the pandemic, he had come to Bangladesh many times to treat people at his medical centre in Comilla, and he wished to do so again after recovering from the deadly coronavirus.
Dr Ferdous came to Bangladesh on a special Qatar Airways flight on June 7, with eight suitcases full of medical equipment for doctors to help in the fight against Covid-19. However, he soon found that helping out would not be so easy.
Of the 129 passengers on the special flight, Dr Ferdous was the only one put into quarantine, even though he had tests confirming that he had recovered from Covid-19. The antibodies in his blood made him a viable donor for plasma therapy.
After spending 14 days in institutional quarantine at the BRAC Training Center in Dhaka, Dr Ferdous could work for only two days in the country before being forced to fly back to New York on June 24. He managed to accomplish only a small fraction of what he had wanted to do, as rumours about his political affiliations had surfaced on social media just before his arrival and made the situation untenable.
Friends of the doctor quickly came to his defence, testifying to his political identity, as well as the nature and purpose of his work.
“He did not come here to harm anyone. The example that was set this time by not letting him (Ferdous) work will make others hesitate to come forward to help in the future. People will be afraid to do anything for anyone,” sources close to the doctor said.
Dr Ferdous has not only been providing medical care to the general public since the Covid-19 outbreak, but has also taken initiative to create Bangla content online to raise awareness on issues related to the novel coronavirus. He has also been working to make Bangladesh’s medical system more accessible for the people for over a decade.
What happened to all the medical equipment?
The suitcases of medical equipment Dr Ferdous had brought have not been released from customs. The customs authorities said they lacked proper documentation.
Dr Ferdous had wanted to distribute the equipment among doctors, nurses, journalists, police and others on the Covid-19 frontlines.
Dhaka Customs House Deputy Commissioner Sanuwarul Kabir said: “All kinds of duty-tax exemption have been given on the import of 12 types of products, including hand sanitizer, masks, and protective clothing to prevent coronavirus. But the condition is that the permission of the Directorate General of Drug Administration (DGDA) must be taken before importing. At the same time, there has to be a clearance certificate about the quality of the product. Since he did not follow any of the given procedures, his products were detained under customs law.”
On the other hand, another deputy commissioner at airport customs Rebekah Sultana said they sent a letter to the residential address of Dr Ferdous in Banani, but it was not received by anyone as no one now lives in that house.
Dr Ferdous’s cousin Alauddin Qusum said they will need to pay about Tk3.5 lakh in tax in order for customs to release the goods.
Friends of Dr Ferdous said the doctor had sent various products as relief items, following all rules and regulations, since the Covid-19 outbreak arrived in Bangladesh. But this time, he became a victim of politics.
14-day institutional quarantine
On condition of anonymity, a top official at Dhaka Airport said the decision to take Dr Ferdous into institutional quarantine was made by DGHS and the airport authority has nothing to do with it.
Dhaka Tribune called DGHS Director General Prof Abul Kalam Azad, but the calls remain unanswered.
"I have to follow the rules and do whatever the government tells me to do, but why was I the only one of 129 passengers required to obey it?" Ferdous said concerning his quarantine.
“Even if I have to go for quarantine again after I come back, I will do it. People were by my side before and they are still there. I have come from far for the love of my country,” he added.
After his 14-day institutional quarantine ended, Dr Ferdous rushed to donate plasma for Covid-19 patients.
“I came to donate plasma because I have antibodies. Plasma therapy is a proven medical procedure. Many people in Bangladesh have been infected with Covid-19 and the number of plasma donors is low. I think you all have a role to play here,” Ferdous said, before making the donation.
“Donating plasma is a simple thing; taking blood from the body and refining it in a separate machine that will return the blood cells to you,” he added.
He also distributed food items through volunteer groups to marginalized people in his native village in Comilla.
Dr Subash Kanti Dey, a physician at the Neurology department of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) and friend of Dr Ferdous, said: “What has been done to Ferdous was not right. At least as a Bengali, he did not deserve it.
“Ferdous did not come to cause any harm. Rather, it would have been beneficial if he was allowed to work. He brought some things at his own expense. Even before he arrived, many from Covid-19 hospitals were helping him. I think no one will come forward to cooperate if this example is up front,” he added.
Dr Subash also said the allegations against Ferdous were baseless. “Ferdous comes to Bangladesh two to three times a year to work at his medical centre, and now he will have to wait to carry on with his work.”
Despite the negative experience, Dr Ferdous said he will return to Bangladesh once again to help in any way that he can.
