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“When the babies were struggling to survive, there was no oxygen, and no doctor came. Six infants, crying and gasping, succumbed to carbon dioxide build-up. Mothers were weeping and running around, but no physician appeared,” Sakhawat said.

“Many MPs said dialysis is done there for Tk 200–250. True. We only suspended the hospital’s licence; we did not decide to shut it down,” he said.

The minister also said that the government cannot remain idle. “We want to bring all hospitals under discipline. Bangladesh comes first; the 180 million people come first. The government must value human health and life.”

“I am the health minister appointed by our prime minister. Our children cannot die without treatment,” he added.

Referring to opposition MPs’ argument that no harsh decision was taken against United Hospital after a fire incident broke out there during the pandemic, Sakhawat said while those were accidents, what happened in Ad-din was due to negligence.

Exposing mismanagement in the hospital, Sakhawat said, “One of the hospital’s six floors was turned into a bakery. The stench makes it unbearable to enter. Plastic waste piled up so dangerously that if a fire broke out, no patient or guardian could escape. Out of negligence and stubbornness, the owner even replaced the board of directors with his wife as chief executive.”

“None of you went there, yet today you speak in parliament. Even the hospital owner did not visit after the tragedy. I went the very next day, and doctors admitted to their negligence,” he added.