World Medical Association Calls on Bangladesh to Halt Violence

The World Medical Association (WMA) has urged the Bangladesh government to take immediate action to protect doctors, healthcare workers and medical facilities amid growing reports of violence in healthcare settings across the country.

In a letter addressed to Bangladesh’s Prime Minister and Minister of Health and Family Welfare, WMA President Dr. Jacqueline Kitulu said recent reports indicated that assaults and threats against healthcare personnel, along with vandalism at emergency departments and other medical facilities, were part of a broader and “deeply worrying” pattern.

The WMA called for stronger security measures, prompt investigations into attacks, accountability for perpetrators, improved monitoring and reporting mechanisms, and action to address systemic problems contributing to violence in the health sector.

The global medical body also warned that violence against healthcare workers could undermine the quality and continuity of patient care, weaken public trust in the health system and place additional pressure on Bangladesh’s already overstretched healthcare sector.

The letter was dated September 30, 2026.