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Pran Gopal Datta

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Pran Gopal Datta
প্রাণ গোপাল দত্ত
Member of the Bangladesh Parliament
for Comilla-7
In office
30 September 2021[1] – 6 August 2024
Preceded byAli Ashraf
Vice-Chancellor of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University
In office
25 Mar 2009 – 24 Mar 2015
Preceded byMd. Nazrul Islam
Succeeded byKamrul Hasan Khan
Personal details
Born (1953-10-01) 1 October 1953 (age 70)
Chandina, Comilla District, East Pakistan
NationalityBangladeshi
Political partyBangladesh Awami League
AwardsIndependence Day Award

Pran Gopal Datta (born 1 October 1953)[2] is a Bangladeshi physician, university administrator and politician. In September 2021, he won a seat in the Jatiya Sangsad representing the Comilla-7 constituency in an unopposed by-election. The seat had become vacant after Ali Ashraf died in office in July 2021.[3]

Datta was awarded the Independence Day Award, the highest civilian award in Bangladesh, in 2012 for his contributions to the medical field.[4][5] He is an ear, nose and throat (ENT) specialist. He also served as the personal physician to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.[3]

Background and education

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Datta was born on 1 October 1953 in Mahichail village, Chandina, Comilla District, the second of seven brothers and sisters. He matriculated from Chandina Pilot High School in 1968 and attended Comilla Victoria College.[6] He earned his MBBS degree at Chittagong Medical College in 1976, PhD degree from Odessa State Medical University in 1983, and an MSc in audiological medicine from University of Manchester in 1993.[7]

Career

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Datta regularly provides treatment to his patients at Green Life Hospital.[8] He is a professor in the Department of ENT at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University.[9] He also works as an 'Ear, Nose & Throat Specialist & Head Neck surgeon' in the same organization.[10] In 2021, he was nominated by the Awami League to contest by-elections for Jatiya Sangsad from Comilla-7 constituency after the death of Ali Ashraf.[11]

2024 Election Scandal

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Dr. Datta's political career saw notable controversy during the 2024 parliamentary elections in Bangladesh. He was declared the winner of the Cumilla-7 constituency, but the election was marred by incidents of violence[12], ballot-stuffing, vote theft[13], and allegations of electoral irregularities. Reports indicated that clashes between supporters of Dr. Datta and other candidates resulted in injuries and disrupted the electoral process. Despite being declared the winner, the legitimacy of the election was questioned.

Allegations of Discrimination

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During his tenure at BSMMU, Dr. Datta faced allegations of discriminatory practices. Several doctors accused him of marginalizing doctors of differing political beliefs while favoring doctors affiliated with the Awami League. The promotion policies at BSMMU were reportedly altered to include a viva voce requirement, which critics claimed was used to benefit certain candidates over others.

Affected doctors described the environment at BSMMU as a "hall of mirrors" of mental torture, with allegations that doctors, despite being qualified, were systematically denied promotions. It was reported that many key positions were held by Awami League affiliated doctors, which fueled claims of political bias.

In response to these allegations, supporters of Dr. Datta argued that the changes in promotion criteria were intended to maintain high academic standards and that the claims of bias were politically motivated.[14]

Fall of Awami League Government

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On August 5, 2024, the Awami League government fell amid widespread political unrest and protests after the state sanctioned killings of protesters nationwide. He has been charged for murder on three separate counts[15][16], one of which during the July Revolution, regarding the killing of protestors where he was charged with Sheikh Hasina[17]. Following the collapse of the government, Dr. Datta reportedly went into hiding, as political instability and the subsequent shift in power created a precarious situation for many political figures.

References

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  1. ^ "Dr Pran Gopal takes oath as MP". BSS. 30 September 2021. Retrieved 1 October 2021.
  2. ^ Chowdhury, Moinul Hoque (20 September 2021). "Political career won't hamper service as a doctor, says Pran Gopal Datta". bdnews24.com. Retrieved 21 September 2021.
  3. ^ a b "Pran Gopal Datta goes to parliament as Cumilla-7 MP". bdnews24.com. 20 September 2021. Retrieved 21 September 2021.
  4. ^ স্বাধীনতা পুরস্কারপ্রাপ্ত ব্যক্তি/প্রতিষ্ঠানের তালিকা (in Bengali). Government of Bangladesh. 20 September 2021.
  5. ^ স্বাধীনতা পদকের অর্থমূল্য বাড়ছে. Kaler Kantho (in Bengali). Retrieved 14 July 2020.
  6. ^ প্রখ্যাত ব্যক্তি [Eminent people]. Chandina Upazila. Archived from the original on 17 December 2017. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
  7. ^ Ahmad, Md Sarwar (9 December 2017). "A freedom fighter and physician dedicated to the cause of humanity". The Asian Age. Bangladesh.
  8. ^ "Pran Gopal Datta Chamber". Doctor Bangladesh. 11 August 2020.
  9. ^ "Prof Dr Pran Gopal Datta - Appointment Process [Updated 2023]". 12 February 2022. Retrieved 29 September 2023.
  10. ^ "Prof. Dr. Pran Gopal Datta". Where's My Doctor?.
  11. ^ "AL nominates Dr Pran Gopal Datta for Cumilla-7 constituency". The Business Standard. 11 September 2021. Retrieved 16 September 2021.
  12. ^ "9 injured as supporters of Cumilla-7 AL, Independent candidates lock horns". The Business Standard. 31 December 2023. Retrieved 2 September 2024.
  13. ^ "As videos of already stamped ballots in Cumilla go viral, numbers of votes cancelled". The Business Standard. 7 January 2024. Retrieved 2 September 2024.
  14. ^ "মানসিক নির্যাতনের 'আয়নাঘর' থেকে মুক্ত বিএসএমএমইউর ১৭৩ চিকিৎসক". medivoicebd.com. 19 August 2024. Retrieved 2 September 2024.
  15. ^ "সাবেক এমপি প্রাণ গোপালের বিরুদ্ধে ঢাকায় হত্যা মামলা". www.comillarkagoj.com. Retrieved 2 September 2024.
  16. ^ সংবাদদাতা (1 September 2024). "কুমিল্লায় প্রাণ গোপাল দত্তের বিরুদ্ধে ছাত্রলীগ নেতার মামলা". Prothomalo (in Bengali). Retrieved 2 September 2024.
  17. ^ প্রতিনিধি, চান্দিনা (কুমিল্লা). "শেখ হাসিনা-ডিবি হারুনসহ তিনশ জনের নামে হত্যা মামলা | কালবেলা". কালবেলা | বাংলা নিউজ পেপার (in Bengali). Retrieved 2 September 2024.
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