The High Court has ruled that doctors cannot use the surname before the names of homeopathy, Unani and Ayurvedic doctors. Rejecting the rule issued in this regard on Saturday (August 14), Justice Md. The High Court bench of Ashraful Kamal and Justice Rajik Al Jalil delivered the 71-page verdict.
“Unfortunately, under section 29 of the Bangladesh Medical and Dental Council Act, 2010, no one other than an MBBS or BDS degree holder with a medical or dental institute registered by BMDC can use the doctor’s name before their name,” Roy said. There, the Department of Health Services of the Ministry of Health and Family Planning, in an amended notification dated September 3, 2014, allowed Homeopathy, Unani and Ayurvedic officials working in various positions of the operational plan titled ‘Alternative Medical Care’ to add doctor’s name before their own names, which is beyond the law. That is illegal.
Besides, in the notification issued by the Bangladesh Homoeopathic Board on February 6, 2020, it is also illegal to allow homeopathic doctors in different branches to use the doctor as a surname before their name.
Earlier, degree holders in homeopathic and Unani medicine had filed a writ petition in the High Court seeking directions to use doctors before their names. The court issued the rule in the light of the writ.
Barrister Rashna Imam and Advocate Khandaker Nilima Yasmin appeared for the writ petition. Barrister Tanjib-ul-Alam was on the other side.
