88,909 physicians required, but only 30,311 working in public hospitals: Health Minister

There are 30,311 doctors working at public hospitals across the country against 41,806 sanctioned posts. The number of vacant posts is 11,495.

Health Minister Sardar Sakhawat Husain disclosed the information in a written response to a question from BNP lawmaker Md Mosharraf Hossain in parliament on Monday. State Minister for Health MA Muhit responded to the questions in parliament in the minister’s absence. The Q&A session was held at the beginning of the sitting, presided over by Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmad.

In response to Mosharraf Hossain’s question, the health minister also said Bangladesh needs around 88,909 doctors based on the minimum standards set by the World Health Organization (WHO), according to a government-funded study. The government is continuing efforts to ensure accessible, quality and people-friendly healthcare by gradually filling vacant posts at government health facilities through ongoing recruitment drives and creating new posts where necessary.

In response to a question from BNP lawmaker Shamsur Rahman Shimul Biswas, the health minister said family planning activities faced temporary disruptions over the last three years due to the supply of birth control materials and essential medicines being somewhat lower than demand.

He said the government has taken various effective measures to restore the supply of contraceptives and medical supplies to make family planning services more effective and ensure uninterrupted services for the public after assuming office.

The minister said efforts are underway to complete the procurement process and ensure supplies reach the field level quickly. He said the supply of contraceptives and essential medicines is expected to return to normal within the next two to three months.

In response to a question from Madaripur-2 MP Md Jahandar Ali Mia, the health minister said there are 5,100 seats in 37 government medical colleges. The country’s 68 private medical colleges have 6,278 seats.

In a written reply to a question from Gopalganj-1 MP Md Selimuzzaman, the health minister stated that the primary reasons behind the failure to procure measles vaccines during the previous interim government and the subsequent countrywide vaccine shortage were administrative policy changes in the vaccine procurement process, bureaucratic complexities and ignoring warnings from UNICEF.

The written response, citing reports by national and international media and the United Nations, also outlined the main reasons behind the delay and shortage. It said the 2024 political unrest caused delays, while the government subsequently cancelled a supplementary measles-rubella special campaign in 2025.

As a result, routine vaccination coverage dropped alarmingly and measles outbreaks later became severe among children across the country and in Rohingya camps.

In response to a question from Kishoreganj-1 MP Mohammad Mazharul Islam, the religious affairs minister said Tk 70 million had been collected in zakat in the current fiscal year. Of this, Tk 10 million and 5.9 million is deposited in the government zakat fund. The remaining amount is deposited in zakat funds at divisional and district offices.

In response to a question from Chattogram-15 MP Shahjahan Chowdhury, Religious Affairs Minister Kazi Shah Mofazzal Houssain (Kaikobad) said research and Ifta activities at the upazila level are being implemented to maintain religious harmony, address confusion over religious matters and prevent social conflict by involving prominent scholars from different schools and traditions.

He said the government would consider forming a National Ulama Advisory Committee if necessary.

In response to a question from Chattogram-15 MP Shahjahan Chowdhury, State Minister for Shipping Sheikh Rabiul Alam said 252,813 vessels had been registered in the country’s first-ever vessel census.

In response to a question from reserved-seat MP Sabikun Nahar, the shipping minister said legal action had been taken against 47,606 vessels over the past 35 years. Of these, 37,671 cases had been disposed of through trials at marine courts. Cases against 9,935 vessels are currently pending.

The minister said 4,052 people were killed and 807 injured in waterway accidents over the past 35 years.