The High Court has issued a rule asking why no legal action has been taken against private hospitals and diagnostic centers operating without mandatory fire licenses in Bangladesh. The bench of Justice Ahmed Sohel and Justice Fatema Anwar issued the order on January 18, 2026, after a preliminary hearing of a public interest writ petition. The court directed the secretaries of the Health and Family Welfare Ministry, the Home Ministry, the Director General of the Directorate General of Health Services, and the Director General of Fire Service and Civil Defence to respond within four weeks.

The writ petition, filed by lawyer Md. Kawsar Hossain, stated that under the Fire Prevention and Extinction Act, 2003, all hospitals, clinics, and diagnostic centers must have fire licenses. However, official data show that out of 18,113 private healthcare institutions nationwide, only 7,565 have licenses, leaving about 10,518 facilities operating without them. Many of these are housed in unsafe buildings lacking proper fire exits and safety measures.

The court also ordered that the petitioner’s application seeking action to ensure safe healthcare in such risky establishments be resolved within 90 days by the relevant authorities.