Staff Reporter:
A quieter but damaging problem has been unfolding for years inside government hospitals in Bangladesh’s northern districts where doctors remain on the payroll but do not report to their workplaces for months, or even years.
An investigation in eight northern districts across Rangpur Division has found that at least 20 government physicians have been absent from their assigned hospitals for prolonged periods without authorisation, leaving already understaffed facilities struggling to provide basic healthcare services to millions of people.
The situation raises troubling questions about accountability within the public health system. Under government service rules, unauthorised absence exceeding two months is grounds for departmental action. Yet several doctors have reportedly remained absent for six to ten years without facing visible consequences.
The human cost is most evident in rural hospitals.
At Boda Upazila Health Complex in Panchagarh, 42 physician posts are officially sanctioned. On paper, 19 doctors are posted there. In reality, only 14 regularly provide services to patients.
Hospital records show that Medical Officer Dr Shahedur Rahman has been absent since 13 January 2019. Dr Abdul Kader Talukdar has not reported to duty since 5 March 2019, while Dr Abu Sadat Md Sayed Sharif (Pavel) has remained absent since 26 April 2019.
Boda Upazila Health and Family Planning Officer Dr Md Lutful Kabir says he never found the three doctors at their workplace after assuming office two years ago. Show-cause notices have been issued and higher authorities informed, but the positions remain occupied on official records.
The case of Dr Kader illustrates the weakness of enforcement. Despite years of absence from government service, he is reportedly practicing regularly at his privately owned Talukdar Hospital in Rangpur city.
Speaking about his absence, he acknowledged that he stopped attending his government posting after being transferred from Boda Upazila Health Complex to a distant location and not receiving a promotion.
The whereabouts of Dr Shahedur remain unclear. Officials at both the Boda hospital and Panchagarh Civil Surgeon’s Office say they have been unable to contact him, and the phone number on record is inactive.
Meanwhile, relatives of Dr Sadat say he moved to Canada with his family nearly six years ago and has remained there since.
The problem extends well beyond Panchagarh.
At Birampur Upazila Health Complex in Dinajpur, Dr Anannya Roy has reportedly been absent for nearly a decade and is currently residing in Japan with her family.
At Taraganj Upazila Health Complex in Rangpur, Dr ANM Kaiser Anam has allegedly remained absent for six years. Relatives say he is now living in London.
At Kaunia Upazila Health Complex, Medical Officer Dr Asaduzzaman Asad has reportedly been absent for about a year while working at a private healthcare facility in Dhaka. When contacted, he cited family reasons for staying in the capital and said he would resign if necessary.
Investigators also identified at least ten additional physicians in government hospitals across Thakurgaon, Nilphamari, Lalmonirhat, Kurigram, and Gaibandha who have been absent for extended periods.
The consequences are severe for public health services. Every absentee doctor effectively blocks a sanctioned government post. Because these positions are not officially vacant, authorities cannot recruit replacements.
As a result, hospitals that already struggle with physician shortages are forced to operate with skeletal staffing levels, according to the officials of local health sectors.
For patients in remote areas, the result is longer waiting times, reduced access to specialised care, and increased dependence on private healthcare—often at costs they can scarcely afford.
Acting Rangpur divisional director of health Dr Wazed Ali confirmed that approximately 20 doctors in the division have remained absent for prolonged periods from their jobs. According to him, show-cause notices have been issued and the matter reported to the Directorate General of Health Services, with further action now dependent on higher authorities and the ministry.
Civil society leaders argue that administrative delays have effectively normalised misconduct.
Zobaidul Islam Bullet, president of the Rangpur Metropolitan chapter of Citizens for Good Governance (SUJON), says these physicians have openly violated government service rules and that authorities should consider not only departmental action but also legal accountability where appropriate.
The larger question is why the system has allowed such violations to persist for years.
Bangladesh’s public health sector routinely cites shortages of doctors as a major obstacle to healthcare delivery. Yet the Rangpur experience suggests that the challenge is not merely a lack of physicians—it is also a failure of governance.
When doctors can remain absent for years while retaining their posts, oversight mechanisms cease to function, and rural patients become the ultimate victims.
Until disciplinary rules are enforced consistently and vacant positions are freed for new recruitment, the empty chairs inside government hospitals will continue to symbolise a healthcare system struggling not only with scarcity, but with accountability.
