DHAKA: The physicians will observe a one-hour work abstention from 12:00pm to 1 pm on May 14 across the country protesting the harassment of fellow doctors.

Bangladesh Medical Association secretary general Iqbal Arslan made the announcement at a press conference at BMA Bhaban in city’s Topkhana Road on Monday noon.

He said that the BMA, a national platform of doctors, will observe a four-phase program in protest against the harassment of physicians.

The programs include wearing black badges at every medical institution on May 14, human chain at Shahbagh from 12:00pm to 1:00pm on the day, one-hour work abstention during the human chain and 2-hour abstention by specialist doctors at private chambers from 5:00pm to 7:00pm on May 15.

The organizers said that emergency medical services will be continued during the human-chain program on May 14.

BMA president Dr Mahmud Hasan, vice-president Professor Qamrul Hasan Khan and joint-general secretary MA Aziz, among others, were present at the conference.

Arslan claimed that a vested quarter has been working for past six months to create a chaotic situation that includes assaulting doctors at the medical institutions across the country.

He said that a total of 22 attacks have been recorded in recent time and cases filed regarding these incidents.

The BMA leader further said that intern doctors of Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) would withdraw their 48-hour work abstention after the declaration of this program.

If they do not withdraw their abstention, then BMA will take necessary steps against them.

However, the DMCH intern doctors have been observing abstention from works from Sunday 12:00pm as a protest of attacks on three intern doctors in city’s Chankhar Pool area on Saturday.

BDST: 1403 HRS, MAY 12, 2014