Supreme Court lawyer Advocate Shishir Monir has termed the health ministry’s declaration to cancel Ad-Din Hospital’s license as unlawful. He made the statement on Saturday, June 6, at a hotel in Tejgaon, Dhaka, during a meeting attended by the hospital authorities and families of the deceased infants. The Directorate General of Health Services had issued a show-cause notice to the hospital following the deaths of six newborns, asking for a response by Sunday, June 7. Monir argued that the notice’s warning of license cancellation was completely illegal.

He also criticized the ministry’s investigation report, which cited oxygen shortage and increased carbon dioxide levels as causes of death, for lacking specific data on gas levels. Monir said the report failed to clarify what oxygen levels would have prevented the deaths, calling it vague. One bereaved father, Habibur Rahman, said families wanted punishment for those responsible but did not want the hospital closed. The hospital announced free lifelong treatment, jobs, and compensation for affected families.

Earlier, Health Minister Sardar Md. Sakhawat Hossain said the investigation found negligence at Ad-Din Hospital and that legal action would follow.