Dr. Ziauddin Hyder
If only Halima Begum had a trained health worker in her village, her tragedy could have been prevented. Last winter, Halima’s three-year-old son developed a high fever in a remote char area of Jhalakathi.
With no health worker available and the local clinic closed, she waited until daylight to travel to the Sadar hospital. By the time she finally reached the overcrowded emergency room, it was too late. A young life was lost—not because Bangladesh lacks the ability to save children, but because care was too far away when it mattered most. Every night, Halima asks the same heartbreaking question: “If doctors were far away, why wasn’t someone here to help?” Her pain reflects the silent struggle of millions of Bangladeshi families.
Tarique Rahman believes that the strength of a nation lies in the health of its people. Every Bangladeshi, whether living in a char village or in the heart of Dhaka, deserves care with dignity and respect. Health is not a luxury for the few; it is a right for all.
Bangladesh deserves a health system that protects people, not one that abandons them at the moment they need help the most. Today, too many families are forced to travel long distances and spend money they cannot afford, even for simple treatment. This painful reality has continued for years because primary health care has been neglected, mismanaged, and weakened by corruption. When the foundation of a health system is weak, the entire system collapses on the shoulders of ordinary people.
BNP, under the leadership of Tarique Rahman, has made a powerful and clear commitment to change this. His vision is simple but transformative: health care must reach the people’s doorstep. No mother should lose a child because the nearest medical help is miles away. No family should fall into poverty because of basic treatment costs. BNP will invest in expanding and modernising community health workers – skilled, trusted individuals who can provide preventive and promotive health care directly in villages, neighbourhoods, and urban wards. They will offer early detection of diseases, health education, and referrals when needed so that hospitals are reserved for serious cases.
For decades, governments have focused only on big hospitals while leaving communities behind. This top-heavy approach has created a system where tertiary hospitals overflow beyond capacity,y while women and children often fail to receive the most essential services. This is not the outcome of fate but the result of poor planning, inefficiency, and lack of accountability. BNP is committed to breaking this cycle. Under Tarique Rahman’s vision, health resources will be used smartly, transparently, and directed toward people who need them most.
Improving primary care also means improving lives. Families will remain healthy and productive. Out-of-pocket health expenses, now among the highest in Asia, are expected to decrease significantly when care becomes more local and preventive. Doctors in major hospitals will finally be able to focus on critical patients instead of managing long lines of people seeking simple services. Trust in the health system will grow because people will no longer feel abandoned.
Tarique Rahman believes that the strength of a nation lies in the health of its people. Every Bangladeshi, whether living in a char village or in the heart of Dhaka, deserves care with dignity and respect. Health is not a luxury for the few; it is a right for all. BNP’s vision for primary health care is designed to ensure equality, dignity, and better future opportunities for every child, mother, and family.
BNP’s reform plan is not just another policy document. It is a promise to rebuild trust and hope in our national health system. It is a commitment to ensure that what happened to Halima’s son never happens again. Under Tarique Rahman’s leadership, Bangladesh can move toward a future where healthcare reaches every home, every family, and saves lives before it is too late.
Now is the time for a people-centred health revolution. Health for all, at every doorstep, that is the future Bangladesh deserves, and that is the promise BNP stands ready to deliver.
(Dr. Ziauddin Hyder is Adviser to the Chairperson, Bangladesh Nationalist Party and a former World Bank Senior Health and Nutrition Specialist).
