DAB says it is investigating whether the other individuals involved in the incident were association members.

 
 
The director of the Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control, and Research (IEDCR) was assaulted inside his office this morning (28 October) by a member of the pro-BNP Doctors Association of Bangladesh (DAB).
 
The DAB temporarily suspended the primary membership of the organisation's Assistant Legal Affairs Secretary Dr Zahid Hasan, for assaulting and misbehaving with IEDCR Director Prof Kazi Ahmed Zaki.
 
 
According to a Banani police station report, Dr Zahid and Dr Based, along with 10-15 unidentified people, entered the office of IEDCR Director Zaki by force between 11:15am and 11:30am today and physically harassed him by grabbing his shirt collar.
 
 
The group left the scene when other officials and employees came forward, it said.
 
The report states that, when asked about the motive behind the incident, the director and people present at the scene said Zahid had been employed under the US-funded Bangladesh Public Health Protection project. His employment ended when the project's tenure expired, but he had been pressuring the authorities unlawfully to extend the project.
 
The director and those present also reportedly said the incident occurred over this dispute.
 
DAB Secretary General Dr Zahirul Islam Shakil confirmed the suspension while talking to this correspondent around 3pm today, and said the organisation had also issued Zahid a 48-hour show-cause notice asking why organisational action should not be taken against him.
 
"We have reviewed the video of the incident and have already taken action based on it," he said.
 
Shakil said they were investigating whether the other individuals involved in the incident were DAB members.
"So far, we have identified one member in the video. We are making inquiries about the others. If any of them are identified as DAB members, action will also be taken against them," he added.
 
The IEDCR director declined to comment on the incident. Public health specialist Prof Zaki was appointed to that position after the BNP-led government took office in February and recently conducted research on measles vaccine effectiveness.
 
Shakil added, "We will not tolerate or protect anyone involved in such an incident. If any DAB member is found to have been involved, action will be taken against them.
 
"We are taking steps to investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident and will also form a committee to look into the matter."
 
Asked whether the director was assaulted over a meeting with former director Meerjady Sabrina Flora, as reported by several media outlets citing sources, Shakil said they had received information that Flora attended an event and met with the current director. He added that the matter was being investigated.
 
However, Banani Police Station Officer-in-Charge Md Salahuddin told that police had yet to receive any verbal or written complaint.
 
"We visited the scene. We have learnt that a meeting between the two sides took place afterwards. If we receive a complaint, we will take action in accordance with the law," he said.
 
IEDCR is a key government institution responsible for monitoring disease outbreaks, conducting research and issuing health alerts. It also works with international organisations including the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).