Member of Parliament Nurul Islam Bulbul from Chapainawabganj-3 constituency has launched a free boat ambulance service for residents of Char-Alatuli and Narayanpur unions in the Padma River’s remote char areas under Chapainawabganj Sadar upazila. He announced the initiative on Wednesday through a Facebook post, describing it as a fulfillment of his electoral promise and a response to long-standing local demands.

According to Bulbul, residents previously had to pay between 2,000 and 5,000 taka to hire boats to reach hospitals in the town, often facing delays that cost lives. The new service includes essential medical equipment such as oxygen cylinders, wheelchairs, beds, blood pressure monitors, and diabetes testing facilities. Additionally, patients will receive free ambulance transport from the riverbank to Chapainawabganj Sadar Hospital.

Bulbul expressed hope that the initiative would ease the suffering of neglected riverine communities and ensure timely emergency medical care for them.