A petition in the High Court seeks to ban private practice of doctors at state-owned hospitals during their office hours.
Five Supreme Court lawyers lodged the writ on Monday (February 4).
The health secretary, director general of the health department, Bangladesh Medical and Dental Council (BMDC) president and Bangladesh Medical Association (BMA) president have been made respondents.
The petition seeks a HC rule banning the private practices of all government physicians.
It also asked for an order to monitor operations at state-owned hospitals as well as mobile courts at both private and public hospitals to stamp out any irregularities there.
The writ further asked to form an independent commission comprising of specialists to draft a private practice policy for government doctors.
On Jan 29, SC lawyer Abdur Sattar Palowan sent a legal notice to the government physicians asking them to stop all private practices during office hours.
The notice said that it is the constitutional right of every citizen to receive treatment from government doctors. However, there are allegations that many were neglecting their duties by giving time at their private practice during office hours.
The notice asked everyone related to the matter to stop the practice saying that the physicians’ action is a punishable offence.