Six Newborns Die At Moghbazar Ad-Din Hospital

A major investigation has been launched by law enforcement and health regulators following the consecutive deaths of six newborn infants on Wednesday, 27 May 2026, at Ad-din Medical College Hospital in Dhaka’s Moghbazar district. The tragic events occurred between 06:00 am and 09:00 am inside the post-delivery recovery ward located on the second floor of the facility. The sudden deaths prompted the mobilization of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and senior officials from the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).

Sheikh Zahidul Islam, the Deputy Commissioner (DC) for the Ramna Division of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP), confirmed that the deceased neonates were all aged between one and two days. Investigative teams are currently inspecting the ward to determine if structural failures, mechanical malfunctions, or gas line leaks contributed to the incident.

Incident Timeline and Clinical Complications

According to hospital logs and police briefings, the specialized air-conditioned ward housed 11 mothers and six newborns at the time of the incident. Because the post-delivery room was built without external windows or natural ventilation, its ambient atmosphere was entirely dependent on its mechanical climate systems.

During the night shift, between 02:00 am and 03:00 am, an attending mother requested the nursing staff to deactivate the air conditioning unit due to excessive cold. Following this manual shut-off, the room remained sealed without active airflow for over an hour.

The chronological sequence of the mechanical adjustments and the subsequent medical outcomes are detailed in the table below:

Official Administrative and Regulatory Enquiries

As the clinical crisis unfolded, hospital staff attempted to stabilize the infants. Professor Nahida Yasmin, the Director of Ad-din Hospital, stated that when the infants’ conditions deteriorated at 06:00 am, all six were rushed to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). Two of the newborns were pronounced dead upon arrival, while the remaining four were placed on mechanical ventilator support but failed to survive.

The scale of the incident led to an immediate joint site inspection by high-ranking public health officials. Professor Dr Md. Zahid Raihan, the Additional Director General (Administration) of the DGHS, arrived at the Moghbazar campus alongside the Director General to supervise the administrative enquiry.

“We received definitive confirmation regarding the deaths of six newborn infants at the facility,” stated Additional Director General Professor Dr Md. Zahid Raihan. “The Directorate General, alongside senior medical inspectors, has arrived on-site to investigate the exact causes. We are working closely with forensic experts to review the ward’s logs, and a comprehensive public disclosure will be issued as soon as the definitive clinical data is compiled.”

Forensic Assessment and Legal Actions

DMP Assistant Commissioner Mazharul Islam noted that preliminary forensic assessments focus on severe suffocation resulting from the prolonged lack of ventilation in the sealed room. However, police investigators have not ruled out technical factors, including a potential refrigerant or utility gas line leakage within the structural framework of the ward.

Tarikul Islam Mukul, the Director of Administration at Ad-din Hospital, confirmed that management is cooperating with law enforcement. Specialized crime scene units from the CID remain stationed at the hospital to preserve the post-operative ward, review CCTV footage, and interview the medical staff on duty during the night shift. No formal criminal charges have been registered as authorities await the official post-mortem results.