Doctor imposter sent to jail over rape attempt

A fake doctor and owner of an illegally operating clinic was sent to jail yesterday for molesting a woman attendee of a patient at Satla area under Ujirpur Upazila of Barishal.

The accused Rezaul Karim, owner of Mayer Doa Clinic, attempted to rape the 25-year-old attendee of a patient, said Ziaul Hasan, officer-in-charge of Ujirpur police station.

According the case statement, the plaintiff said that her sister was admitted at the clinic on August 11 with infection in her throat and mouth and since then she had been accompanying her sister at almost all hours of the day. Rezaul attempted to harass the attendee with repeated phone calls and said she should "go to his room at night."

In the early hours of August 16, he molested her and attempted to rape. After the girl started screaming for help, he fled.

Rezaul was arrested late Wednesday night, and produced in front of a court yesterday which sent him to jail.

Upazila Health Officer Dr Zahangir Hossain said they had submitted a report about the fake clinic multiple times but the man still continued his operations by using local political connections, and the clinic could not be closed.

Barishal Civil Surgeon Dr Manowar Hossain said Rezaul has no licence from BMDC to practice. "We requested law enforcers to take action against him several times but he avoided conviction using political connections," said Dr Manowar.