The Friday night that could have been as peaceful and normal as any other night turned into a deep black chapter for the residents of Mirpur. The historic Radda MCH-FP Center in Mirpur-1 is today a heap of ruins. For nearly half a century, the premises that brought smiles to the faces of thousands of poor mothers and children, providing free life-saving services, are now being covered up under greedy signboards. In the middle of the night, the ruthless vandalism of more than two hundred masked men did not just break bricks and wood; it shattered the last refuge of hope for society's most helpless people.

Historical Context and Continuity of Healthcare

The government led by leader Sheikh Hasina from 1996 to 2001 established community clinics to bring healthcare to the doorstep of grassroots people across the country. Subsequently, the BNP-Jamaat alliance government closed them down and turned them into cattle sheds and dens for drug addicts. History bears witness that the old mindset of playing with people's lives has not changed today. Later, from 2009 to 2024, to make healthcare universal and accessible, multifaceted government initiatives were taken on one hand, while welfare-oriented private and partnership initiatives like Radda were also provided with all-out cooperation.

However, it is extremely regrettable that in the changed political situation, certain opportunistic circles have once again engaged in attempts to destroy the country's health sector. On one hand, when children are falling victim to death one after another due to attacks of various infectious diseases including measles, the final pathway for marginalized and poor people in urban areas to get medical treatment is being forcibly shut down in this manner.

A Document of Held-Hostage Lives and Ripped-Apart Memories

12:00 midnight. When all around was in deep silence, a group of armed masked men burst into a demonic frenzy. Coming under the banner of "Samabana Dokandar Samabay Samity Limited," these terror creators first held two innocent security guards hostage and entered inside. Then began the cruel vandalism. The sacred walls of the medical center bore witness to a diabolical looting spree:

• Ravaged Medical Services: From government EPI vaccines and life-saving medicines to laboratory reagents, everything was systematically destroyed.

• Plundering of Valuable Assets: Ultrasound machines worth about 4.5 million taka, generators, ACs, fridges, computers, and laptops were looted one by one. • The Death of Funds: Even the cash of about 1.14 million taka kept for providing services was not spared from this monstrous looting.

The Last Shelter of the Poor Smashed to Dust by Bulldozers

The attackers did not stop at looting alone. Using heavy machinery, bulldozers were driven one after another to demolish one brick-built and three semi-brick-built buildings of the center. Where new life used to be born and children were cared for with vaccines, greedy encroachers' signboards now hang in their place.

With tearful eyes, the institution's Executive Director Dr. Nasrin Akhter stated that this barbaric attack caused a loss of about 15 million taka. Due to this devastation, all kinds of vaccination and maternity services, including the newly launched government measles-rubella campaign, have come to a standstill. The air of Mirpur has grown heavy with the tears of poor mothers and the cries of helpless children.

The Cry for Justice and Rights: Now is the Time to Resist

This 50-year-old institution is not merely a structure of brick and stone; it is the lifeline of health security for millions of marginalized people in Mirpur. The authorities clearly allege that this planned attack was carried out with the malicious intent of land grabbing. Immediately after the incident, a case was filed at the Shah Ali Police Station against principal accused Hanif Mia and 200 to 250 unknown persons. Police have stated that operations to arrest the accused are underway. But the question of the locals remains—how quickly will the masks of these monsters be unmasked? How quickly will the veranda of the Radda medical center be operational again?

The sole demand of the institution: prompt exemplary punishment for the perpetrators, full compensation recovery, and immediate reconstruction of the center to unhindered health services for helpless people. Will this scar of humanity be erased this way, or will justice reclaim its own light?

Author: Dr. Abul Hasnat Milton, Journalist, Political Analyst, and Editor-in-Chief, The Source News Bangla