A Bangladeshi-born US physician, who arrived in Dhaka by a flight on Sunday aiming to serve the countrymen amid coronavirus crisis, alleged harassment and forced institutional quarantine.
The physician, Khandker Ferdous, hailing from Debidwar in Cumilla and practicing in New York, said that 128 people were in the flight by which he came to Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport and only he was sent for quarantine for 14 days at BRAC Learning Centre near the airport.
‘They did it unscientifically,’ he said and explained that he had COVID-19 antibody test result showing that his body had antibody against COVID-19.
Ferdous said that he did not know the exact cause of sending him to institutional quarantine and harassment.
‘But, it is being said that I am a relative of Khandaker Mushtaq. Police went to our village home.’
He said that he had no relation with Khandaker Mushtaq who took over as president after the assassination of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
He said that those forced him to go for quarantine were plainclothes security forces men and that he was not feeling comfortable to give their identity.
Ferdous said that he even did not contact his mother who lives in Cumilla as he felt ashamed over the issue.
‘They cannot keep me in confinement if they wish. But they did it. What can I do?’ the physician expressed his discomfort.
‘They asked me to remain in quarantine. I told them that I wanted to go to my Banani home but they asked me to stay here. I asked them whether they had been applying separate rules only for me. They answered that they would not answer so many questions from me,’ he said.
Dabidwar police station officer-in-charge Md Zahirul Anwar said that none of his police station went to Ferdous’ village home.
HISA medical department officials said that, out of 128 passengers of the flight, they sent one for institutional quarantine and 27 others for home quarantine.
A doctor of the department said that security force officials took Ferdous to institutional quarantine though he had COVID-19 antibody positive report with him.
