Deputy Speaker Kayser Kamal seeks satellite hospital and boat ambulance for Netrokona haor region

Deputy Speaker of the Jatiya Sangsad Barrister Kayser Kamal has raised the need to set up a satellite hospital and introduce a boat ambulance service for emergency patient transport to ensure healthcare for the people of the haor region of Netrokona.

He made the remarks during a courtesy meeting at the Deputy Speaker's office at the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban on Wednesday (4 November) with Ramon Magsaysay Award-2026 recipient social worker and founder and executive director of the non-government development organisation Friendship, Runa Khan.

During the meeting, the Deputy Speaker congratulated Runa Khan on achieving the international recognition. He said such an achievement by a citizen of Bangladesh in the international arena is a matter of pride for the whole nation, and that international recognition of people dedicated to human welfare and changing lives will encourage others in public welfare work too. Addressing Runa Khan, the Deputy Speaker said: 'You are our country's asset, our future.'

Presenting the picture of hardship of the people of the haor region of his own district Netrokona, the Deputy Speaker said the people of this region are still deprived of various basic facilities including education, healthcare, communication and employment. Their lives have become difficult due to remote communication systems and a lack of necessary infrastructure.

He emphasised setting up a satellite hospital to ensure healthcare for the people of the haor region. He also raised the need to launch a boat ambulance to take emergency patients, especially pregnant women, children and critically ill patients, to hospital quickly.

The Deputy Speaker said many people of the haor region are forced to leave the area for livelihoods and take up various occupations including rickshaw pulling in different parts of the country. Yet the region was once self-sufficient in food production. The vast potential of the haor cannot be used for a lack of planned initiatives and proper management.

On jalmahal management, he said in many cases wealthy and influential people take leases of jalmahals and farm fish. But ensuring the participation of real fishermen is essential to protect their livelihoods and rights. If the rights of ordinary fishermen and local communities are established in jalmahal management, their livelihood opportunities will increase. At the same time, ensuring nutrition and food security for local people will become easier.

Highlighting the limitations in education, the Deputy Speaker said many students in the haor region have to travel two to three miles every day to go to school. Many children are deprived of quality education due to remote communication systems, a shortage of educational institutions and a lack of necessary facilities. Changing this situation requires developing educational institution infrastructure, making travel easier and ensuring a suitable environment for education.

He said planned development activities centred on fisheries resources, agriculture, biodiversity and tourism could create employment in the haor region and bring a significant change in people's living standards. The haor should be considered not just as a geographical region but as an important reservoir of the national economy, food security, fisheries resources and biodiversity. For this, he called on the government to form a special taskforce in coordination with the relevant ministries and departments.

In response, Runa Khan praised the Deputy Speaker's initiatives and thinking for improving the living standards of the people of the haor region. She said there is no alternative to collective initiative to change the lives of backward and disadvantaged people. In particular, ensuring healthcare, education, employment and basic rights for the people of the haor region needs to be considered with importance.

Runa Khan assured full cooperation from her organisation Friendship in implementing various public welfare initiatives including improving living standards, ensuring healthcare, and creating education and employment opportunities for the people of the haor region of Netrokona. She also expressed interest in working in coordination with the Deputy Speaker and those concerned, giving priority to the needs and realities of local people. Officials concerned from Friendship and the Bangladesh Jatiya Sangsad Secretariat were present at the courtesy meeting.