Dispute over Drug Outlets in Hospital
Dinajpur drug traders go on indefinite strike
Drug traders in Dinajpur town keep shutters down as they begin an indefinite strike yesterday to press for their three-point demand.Photo: STAR
Drug traders here yesterday went on an indefinite strike to realise three-point demand including cancellation of permission for drug shops in Dinajpur Medical College and Hospital compound. The strike has crippled the health service in the district due to crisis of medicines from Thursday morning. Earlier, the Dinajpur unit of Bangladesh Chemist and Druggists Association threatened to go for an indefinite strike. The association had announced it at a press conference at Dinajpur Press Club on Tuesday. The other two demands of the association are withdrawal of case filed against president and general secretary of its Dinajpur unit and immediate transfer of the director (acting) of Dinajpur Medical College Hospital. Meanwhile, deputy commissioner Jamal Uddin Ahmed sat with leaders of agitating drug traders at his office yesterday afternoon but the meeting failed to make any headway. Sources said, the Dinajpur Medical College and Hospital authorities had decided to lease out four of the six outlets in the hospital compound as gift, snacks and telephone shops. But violating the decision, they leased out those four outlets to drug traders on November 10 last year affecting the businesses of drug traders outside the hospital. The drug traders in the town launched protest against the decision in January this year but the hospital authorities, till date, allegedly remained indifferent to the matter.
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