TUHIN SHUBHRA ADHIKARY

The government plans to ease punitive measures against doctors for violating rules, with a draft ordinance seeking to scrap jail terms for prescribing banned medicines.

The draft of the Bangladesh Medical and Dental Council Ordinance 2025 also proposes reducing the jail term from three years to one year for doctors found guilty of practising medicine without registration with Bangladesh Medical and Dental Council (BMDC).

According to the existing law, a doctor may face up to three years in prison or a fine of Tk 1 lakh, or both, for prescribing banned medicines.

The draft, however, proposes imposing only a fine of Tk 5 lakh.

To deal with allegations against doctors, one or more “medical tribunals” will be formed under the ordinance, which will replace the existing BMDC Act 2010, said ministry officials.

As in the existing BMDC Act, the draft ordinance states that only holders of Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) and Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) degrees can use the title “Dr” before their names.

Formed in 1972, the BMDC is responsible for registering new doctors, dentists, and medical technologists; renewing their licences; handling disciplinary issues; formulating undergraduate and postgraduate curricula; and accrediting public and private medical and dental colleges and institutes.

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