Bangladesh Hospital

Bangladesh Hospital was a temporary medical centre under the Sector-2 during the Liberation War of Bangladesh in 1971.[1] The hospital was an initiative of Captain Akhtar Ahmed who was a physician of 4th East Bengal Regiment in Comilla Cantonment.[2][3]

It was situated in Agartala of India.

Background

The almost nine-month-long Liberation War of Bangladesh started on 26 March 1971 after the Pakistan Army cracked down on the Bengali population of the then East Pakistan. The Pakistan Army also targeted the Bengali officers and soldiers of the armed forces in all the cantonments across the country.

As a result of s series of systematic terror established by the Pakistan Army, the enraged Bengali military officials and the people of the then East Pakistan revolted against Pakistan and retaliated against the Pakistan Army of occupation.

History

The Bangladesh Hospital started its journey in a cowshed of Shimantopur, a bordering area of Bangladesh, with Captain Akhtar Ahmed on 29 March 1971. The first patient of the hospital was a villager who was shot in his leg by Pakistan Army. Captain Akhtar found Naik Shamsu Miah from East Pakistan Rifles as his assistant.[4]

Later on 9 May 1971, after the 4th East Bengal Regiment had to retreat due to the shortage of ammo, Dr. Ahmed had to shift his hospital to forest rest house of Sonamura of Tripura in India. During those days Nursing Subedar Mannan joined Dr. Ahmed as an assistant. But the very small sized medical centre was suffering from shortages of equipments and other necessary facilities. And Dr. Ahmed who was also appointed as a Company Commander of 4th East Bengal Regiment during the war was thinking of shifting the hospital to a better place.[5]

Shortly after the battle of Shalda River that was held on 1 June, Major Khaled Mosharraf realised the need of a hospital in his sector and directed Captain Akhtar Ahmed to establish a hospital with more facilities to operate operations and save the lives of those freedom fighters who were receiving injuries in the war and were dying for want of proper treatment.[6]

Establishment

After getting the order to set up a hospital by the Sector Commander Major Khaled Mosharraf, Captain Akhtar Ahmed shifted his medical centre to Matinagar, adjacent to the Sector-2 headquarters of Agartala. He with his assistants set up a tent in Daroga Bagicha, two miles away from the Melaghar headquarters.[7]

In this process, Dr. Ahmed was accompanied by Captain Dr. Sitara Begum, Saeeda Kamal, Sultana Kamal, a medical student of final year Shamsuddin, Dalia Ahmed, Linu Billah, Habibul Alam; and his two sisters Asma and Reshma.[8]

At the end of June Dr. Zafrullah Chowdhury and Dr. M A Mobin, two Bengali physicians who were studying in London met Dr. Ahmed in Sonamura and inquired him about his needs. Dr. Ahmed asked them to collect some essential medical equipment. They managed a handful of equipments within July.

Later, the Provisional Government of Bangladesh granted BDT thirty thousand for the hospital and Dr. Ahmed set up a 200-bed hospital complex in a litchi forest of Bishramganj in Tripura.[9] The hospital complex started its operation from 26 August 1971.[10]

Dr. Mobin, who was studying for FRCS degree, modernised the operation theatre of the hospital soon. The hospital was transformed into a 400-bed one by the end of the war in December.

Sitara Begum served as the Commanding Officer of the Bangladesh Hospital.[11]

List of Doctors

  • Col.Khaled Musharaf establish this Hospital
  • Major Akhtar Ahmed made a Budget
  • Dr.M.A.Mobin with Bangladesh Engineers made this hospital
  • Dr.Nazimuddin Ahed
  • Dr,ZafrullahChowdhury join in September
  • Captain Sitara Begum join in October
  • Shamsuddin left with Daila in September
  • Mahmood
  • Kiron Sankhan Debnath
  • Morshed Chowdhury
  • M.A Qusem
  • Mohammad Zubayer
  • Lutfar Rahman

Recognition

The initiative of Bangladesh Hospital was appreciated by Provisional Government of Bangladesh. After the Liberation War of Bangladesh ended on 16 December 1971, the Government of Bangladesh awarded Dr. Akhtar Ahmed and Dr. Sitara Begum with gallantry award Bir Protik for their remarkable contribution for the hospital.[12][13]

References

  1. ↑ স্বাধীনতা যুদ্ধের দলিলপত্র: দশম খণ্ড. হাক্কানী পাবলিশার্স. March 1982. p. 156. ISBN 984-433-091-2.
  2. ↑ Major Akhtar Ahmed, '‘UPL'’, 23 March 2008, retrieved 15 January 2015
  3. ↑ মুক্তিযুদ্ধে মেজর হায়দার ও তাঁর বিয়োগান্ত বিদায়. প্রথমা প্রকাশনী. March 1982. p. 129. ISBN 978 984 90253 1 3.
  4. ↑ মুক্তিযুদ্ধে মেজর হায়দার ও তাঁর বিয়োগান্ত বিদায়. প্রথমা প্রকাশনী. March 1982. p. 127. ISBN 978 984 90253 1 3.
  5. ↑ আখতার আহমেদ বীর প্রতীক, '‘Prothom Alo'’, 15 December 2014, retrieved 15 January 2015
  6. ↑ স্বাধীনতা যুদ্ধের দলিলপত্র: দশম খণ্ড. হাক্কানী পাবলিশার্স. March 1982. p. 156. ISBN 984-433-091-2.
  7. ↑ মুক্তিযুদ্ধে মেজর হায়দার ও তাঁর বিয়োগান্ত বিদায়. প্রথমা প্রকাশনী. March 1982. p. 129. ISBN 978 984 90253 1 3.
  8. ↑ A view from the frontlines, '‘The Daily Star'’, 26 March 2014, retrieved 15 January 2015
  9. ↑ বিশ্রামগঞ্জের বাংলাদেশ হাসপাতাল, '‘Samakal'’, 15 December 2014, retrieved 15 January 2015
  10. ↑ স্বাধীনতা যুদ্ধের দলিলপত্র: দশম খণ্ড. হাক্কানী পাবলিশার্স. March 1982. p. 156. ISBN 984-433-091-2.
  11. ↑ মুক্তিযুদ্ধে মেজর হায়দার ও তাঁর বিয়োগান্ত বিদায়. প্রথমা প্রকাশনী. March 1982. p. 129. ISBN 978 984 90253 1 3.
  12. ↑ আখতার আহমেদ বীর প্রতীক, '‘Prothom Alo'’, 15 December 2014, retrieved 15 January 2015
  13. ↑ সিতারা বেগম বীর প্রতীক, '‘Prothom Alo'’, 15 December 2014, retrieved 15 January 2015
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