Another death due to ambulance syndicate
We are horrified to learn about yet another death caused by an ambulance syndicate and its extortion practices in Shariatpur. According to a Prothom Alo report, 70-year-old Jamshed Ali Dhali died inside an ambulance after a local ambulance syndicate stopped the vehicle at least twice on its way to Dhaka. This tragedy follows a similar incident in August last year when a newborn died as an ambulance was blocked on the road by the same syndicate. Legal action in that case led to charges against several syndicate members, but it appears to still remain fully active.
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Family and witness accounts describe a chilling sequence of extortion and violence. Jamshed, who was admitted at Shariatpur Sadar Hospital, was referred by his doctors to the National Institute of Neurosciences and Hospital in Dhaka. On Tuesday, after initially hiring a local ambulance for Tk 6,000, the family was told to pay extra money. They then arranged for another ambulance, which was not a part of the syndicate’s fleet, for a lesser price. But that ambulance, carrying Jamshed, was stopped twice by the syndicate members who demanded to know why the family had arranged an “outside” ambulance. This delayed Jamshed’s transfer to Dhaka by 90 minutes, and he passed away before reaching the neuroscience institute.
Reports suggest that ambulance services in Shariatpur have been effectively controlled by an organised syndicate for years. According to Prothom Alo, hospitals in the district refer 80-100 patients to Dhaka every day for advanced treatment, yet there are only seven government ambulances to meet this demand. This chronic shortfall has created a vacuum that private operators are exploiting, turning emergency transport into a cartelised service where prices are inflated and dispatch is tightly controlled. Disturbingly, this is not treated as a criminal violation despite being widely known. Although the official fare for a Dhaka trip is supposed to be Tk 4,000, syndicate-controlled ambulances routinely charge Tk 6,000-8,000.
Jamshed Ali Dhali’s death calls for an immediate systemic response. Emergency care should not be at the mercy of syndicate whims. We urge the government to crack down on syndicate control of ambulance services through clear regulations, strict enforcement, and transparent oversight of both public and private emergency vehicles. Ambulance operations must be standardised with fixed fares and penalties for extortion. District administrations, law enforcement and the health ministry must work together to ensure that no patient faces obstruction when every minute counts.
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