The High Court has ruled that individuals who do not hold an MBBS or BDS degree are not permitted to use the title ‘doctor’ before their names. The verdict was delivered on Wednesday by a High Court bench comprising Justice Razik-Al-Jalil and Justice Shathika Hossain.

The court clarified that those who had previously used the title without these qualifications would not face legal action. However, starting Thursday, any violation of the ruling would lead to legal consequences as per the law.

According to Section 29(1) of the Bangladesh Medical and Dental Council Act, no registered medical or dental practitioner can use or display any title, name, or description that might mislead others into believing they hold additional professional qualifications unless those qualifications are officially recognized in the field of medical or dental education.

The law specifies that only individuals with a minimum of an MBBS or BDS degree are authorized to use the ‘doctor’ title.

Furthermore, Section 29(2) states that anyone violating this provision is committing an offense and may face up to three years of imprisonment, a fine of up to Tk1 lakh, or both. In cases of repeated violations, an additional fine of at least Tk50,000 will be imposed for each instance, in addition to the prescribed penalties.