DHAKA: Doctors at Bangladesh Institute of Research & Rehabilitation in Diabetes, Endocrine and Metabolic Disorders (BIRDEM) Hospital announced a work abstention for indefinite time on Tuesday protesting assault on colleagues by relatives of a patient.

A press brief from the doctors was issued in this regard in the noon.

The decision came after the BIRDEM management board held a meeting at 12:00pm there, hospital sources said.

Meanwhile, a five-member probe committee headed by hospital clinical director Mirza Mahabubur Rahman was formed to investigate into the assaulting incident.

Earlier in the morning, the doctors blocked the city’s Shahbagh intersection, formed a human chain and called the strike.

BIRDEM General Hospital deputy director Dr Nazimul Islam told banglanews “no new patient is being admitted now”.

Patients those remained admitted at the hospital’s intensive care unit (ICU) coronary care unit (CCU) and ward-cabin were undergoing treatment, he claimed.

The patients, however, alleged that no doctors visited to them since the morning.

Five doctors including a female were allegedly assaulted by the relatives of a patient who died at the hospital on Sunday.

BDST: 1800 HRS, APR 15, 2014