A private medical college hospital project built on nearly 16 acres of land in Dhamrai has remained abandoned for more than four decades, despite being conceived as a modern cancer treatment facility.
Located between Warsi and Paikpara villages in Dhamrai Upazila, the unfinished hospital complex now stands unused, with overgrown vegetation covering much of the site. Local residents say the abandoned buildings have become a hideout for drug users and a breeding ground for venomous snakes.
Although most of the infrastructure—including hospital buildings, residential quarters for doctors and students, a mosque, and a pond—has been completed, the facility has never been commissioned and has fallen into disrepair.
According to people involved with the project, construction began in 1985 under the initiative of industrialist Khan Mohammad Iqbal. Inspired by his father's wish after he succumbed to cancer, Iqbal envisioned a specialized cancer hospital that would reduce the need for Bangladeshis to seek treatment abroad.
The project progressed gradually over the years but came to a halt nearly two decades ago due to financial constraints and political complications.
The site is currently maintained by the Iqbal Ahmed Foundation. Its manager, Morshed Chowdhury, said Khan Mohammad Iqbal undertook the project to fulfill his late father's dream of establishing a cancer hospital for the people of Bangladesh.
"After the death of the project's main entrepreneur, Khan Mohammad Iqbal, in 2017, all development activities stopped," Chowdhury said. "The owners are willing to cooperate if the government or any private investor comes forward to complete and operate the hospital."
Residents believe reviving the project would greatly improve healthcare access across the region.
"If the hospital becomes operational, it will serve not only Dhamrai but also people from several surrounding upazilas," said local college student Anik. "Right now, the abandoned complex is of no benefit to the community."
Medical student Rahima Meem said the facility, built at an estimated cost of Tk 300 crore, could provide advanced healthcare services to residents of Dhaka, Manikganj, Tangail, and Gazipur once completed.
Dhamrai Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Md Al Mamun said the privately initiated project in Rajapur village under Chauhat Union was abandoned following the entrepreneur's death.
"We have informed the Deputy Commissioner's office and the local Member of Parliament about the matter," he said. "We are working to explore possible ways to bring the hospital into operation."
Once envisioned as a landmark healthcare institution, the unfinished hospital now stands as a reminder of an ambitious project awaiting revival.
