Radda Clinic Looted as Police Vehicle Stood Outside; 9 Arrested
CCTV footage reported by TBS shows goods being loaded onto pickups while a police vehicle stood outside the Radda MCH-FP Centre in Mirpur. Police have since arrested nine people, including shopkeepers’ association president Shah Alam Mark, according to MP Mir Ahmad Bin Quasem’s 27 September Facebook post
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In a Nutshell:
- CCTV footage shows people carrying goods from the Radda MCH-FP Centre in Mirpur and loading them onto pickups while a police vehicle was parked outside. The footage does not show officers intervening.
- According to the TBS report, the clinic said 200–250 people took part in the attack, held two guards hostage, looted equipment and supplies, and demolished parts of the facility. It estimated losses at more than Tk1.5 crore.
- Police acknowledged their presence at the scene. A three-member committee is investigating their role, and the DMP commissioner said action would follow if officers were found negligent.
- Police said nine people had been arrested and two truckloads of goods recovered by 27 September.
- MP Mir Ahmad Bin Quasem separately said in a Facebook post that Shah Alam Mark, president of the Somomona Dokandar Samity, had been arrested.
- On 26 September, Mir Ahmad called for a 5:30 p.m. protest procession in Dhaka-14 against the attack.
Context
According to the TBS report, between midnight and 2 am on 25 September, a group of 200–250 people, armed with local weapons and wearing masks, took two security guards hostage and raided the clinic. The attackers allegedly looted the facility and demolished parts of it using heavy machinery. Following that, the clinic’s executive director filed a case naming Mirpur BNP leader Hanif Mia and 200–250 unidentified people. However, Hanif has denied involvement. The arrests and investigation are ongoing, and allegations against individuals must be established through due process. As CCTV footage and questions about police inaction were drawing public attention, MP Mir Ahmad, on 26 September, while saying he was in Makkah for Umrah, called for a 5:30 p.m. protest procession in Dhaka-14 against the attack. His later Facebook post identified Shah Alam Mark as an arrestee, while the TBS update reports nine arrests but does not name all nine.
Why It Matters
A healthcare facility providing essential maternal and child health services is looted, and parts of the building are demolished using heavy machinery. It disrupted vital services and caused major financial losses, estimated at more than Tk1.5 crore, as reported by TBS. The CCTV footage showing a police vehicle outside during the raid, with no visible intervention, raises serious concerns about the extent to which law enforcement can protect important public facilities.
What We Think
The recent arrests and recovery efforts are as important as the investigation of the role of the officers present at the scene. Accountability is crucial not only for those involved in the looting but also for any officials who may have failed to act. Without it, public hospitals and clinics may remain vulnerable to similar attacks.