Prime Minister’s Political Adviser and BNP Standing Committee member Mirza Abbas has said he did not voluntarily go abroad for medical treatment but was taken overseas after suffering a stroke.

“I did not go abroad for treatment; I was sent there. When I regained consciousness after being unconscious for nearly one and a half months, I found myself abroad. After completing my treatment, I did not want to stay there. I asked them to take me back to my country,” he said.

Abbas made the remarks on Saturday at a discussion marking National Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Day 2026 at the conference hall of Bangladesh Medical University’s (BMU) Super Specialised Hospital.

Recalling his health complications, Abbas said he had suffered from various illnesses throughout much of his life and had recently experienced a stroke.

Despite receiving treatment abroad, he said he had always taken pride in the quality of medical services available in Bangladesh.

“I believe our doctors are as good as doctors in any other country. They know how to perform operations and understand medical conditions. Treatment in our own country is better for us,” he said.

He said Bangladeshi doctors had demonstrated their capabilities both at home and abroad, adding that he felt more comfortable receiving treatment from doctors in his own country.

However, Abbas stressed the need to improve medical education and research facilities to develop more highly skilled doctors in the country.

He said Bangladesh's large population and limited space posed challenges to expanding hospital facilities and medical education. Referring to major healthcare institutions such as BMU, Dhaka Medical College Hospital and BIRDEM, he said several major hospitals were concentrated within a limited area, putting pressure on available facilities.

Comparing the situation with Singapore, he said hospitals and their departments were spread across larger areas there, requiring patients and visitors to travel between facilities.

Abbas also expressed concern that political considerations had prevented many experienced doctors from making proper use of their expertise.

“Doctors should not become victims of politics under any circumstances. A doctor is simply a doctor. We should allow doctors to remain doctors, regardless of their political affiliations,” he said.

He urged the government and relevant authorities to ensure that doctors were not discriminated against or denied professional opportunities because of their political beliefs.

The BNP leader also identified a lack of public confidence in domestic healthcare services and a shortage of quality hospitals as key reasons why many Bangladeshis seek treatment abroad.

He said people who could afford overseas treatment often chose to go abroad, while family members also sometimes encouraged patients to seek medical care outside the country.

Calling for greater public awareness of the quality of healthcare available in Bangladesh, Abbas suggested organising regular discussions involving senior doctors and giving wider media coverage to the country's medical achievements to help restore public confidence in local healthcare services.