Case filed against ambulance syndicate at CMC Hospital

A case has been filed in the Chittagong Medical College (CMC) Hospital area on charges of charging extra fare from relatives of patients and deceased, obstructing the entry of outside vehicles, cheating and attacking leaders and workers of the National Citizens Party (NCP). Today, Sunday (June 21), Panchlaish Police Station Sub-Inspector (SI) Md. Ashraf Uddin Sardar filed the case as the plaintiff.
20 to 30 unidentified persons and ambulance drivers associated with the Chittagong Ambulance Owners Cooperative Society have been accused in this case. Relevant sections of the Road Transport Act including illegal assembly, blockade, assault, extortion, cheating and intimidation have been added to it. The case details mention that on the afternoon of June 7, an attack was made on the NCP human chain inside the east gate of CHMEC Hospital. When the police reached the spot on information, the attackers fled.
Chittagong Metropolitan NCP Joint Member Secretary Ashiqur Rahman Ashiq, Joint Member Secretary Asif Chowdhury and Joint Organizing Secretary Shahadat Hossain Maruf were injured in the attack. The statement mentioned that an ambulance syndicate active in the Chamek Hospital area is charging several times more than the fare from patients and relatives of the deceased. Legal ambulances and other vehicles coming from outside are being prevented from entering the hospital premises. There are also allegations of fraud by using ordinary microbuses without fitness and route permits as ambulances by installing blue lights and sirens. Police said that Mohammad Ali, a resident of Fatikchhari, was detained for several hours when he went to bring his father’s body from Chamek Hospital last March. Later, when he tried to bring the body in the ambulance provided by the syndicate, he was forced to pay 7,500 taka. Another victim, Mujibur Rahman Jiban, said that in July 2025, he was forced to pay 3,000 taka to take a body from Chamek Hospital to Chandgaon. He alleged that he was threatened when he tried to use an outside ambulance.
In the meantime, the matter came to the court’s attention based on an investigative video report published on social media and two online media outlets. On June 8, the Chittagong Chief Metropolitan Court ordered an investigation by the Additional Deputy Commissioner of CMP’s North Division. When the investigation proved the prima facie truth of the allegations, Panchlaish Police Station was ordered to take up the case.