The people of former enclave Dashiarchhara under Phulbari upazila of Kurigram district are demanding a health sub-centre at the Dashiarchhara for their health care facilities.

After established the India-Bangladesh Land Boundary Agreement in 2015, Bangladesh government has been executed many development works in the former enclave Dashiarchha, while almost all departments of the government kept contribution with their supports to the Dashiarchhara people, such that they can become equal with the normal stream of development of the country.

According to sources of the people of the former enclave, the mentionable development works are: 26 kilometre of metaled road, 100 kilometre of electric line and electricity facility to every house, five Jame-mosques, two temples, six foot-bridges, one community clinic, digging two ponds, crop cultivation in 100 bighas of land under  agriculture development project, three irrigation pumps under Barindra project, one ICT building, one Sheikh Rasel Digital Lab, one resources centre-cum-library, three government primary schools, three high schools, one Dakhil Madrasha and one College.

Villages of the Dashiarchhara have been added with Phulbari Sadar, Bhangamor and Kashipur unions under the upazila. Most parts of the Dashiarchhara have been added with Phulbari Sadar union.

Monir Hossain, 65, resident of Samonnaytary village of the Dashiarsara, said, “We are now getting all facilities by the government. Many development activities including metaled road for smooth communication, electricity facility, agriculture supports and education facility. But, health service in a community clinic is inadequate for us. We would be benefited if a doctor is posted here.”

Dashiarchhara resident Altaf Hossain 60, who was the Dashiarchhara unit president of former India-Bangladesh Enclave Exchange Co-ordination Committee, said now we are over ten thousand people, live in Dashiarchhara. We were deprived of about 68 years from all rights including the health and medical service. The government has set up one community clinic, which provides 27 items of medicines for primary health care by Community Health Care Provider (CHCP). Sometimes I take medicine to the CHCP.Most of the medicine items are tablet.

“The CHCP is not a doctor. We want to get medical service here through a doctor. As there is no scope of providing doctor to the community clinic, therefore we are demanding a health sub-centre in Dashiarchhara,” Altaf added.

The CHCP Minhajul Islam said, now 27 items of medicines are being provided to the patients. 20 to 100 patients come to take medicines in every working days. Most of the patients come here carrying diabetes, blood pressure and other complications. They are referred to Phulbari upazila health complex.

Golam Mostafa, General Secretary of former India-Bangladesh Enclave Exchange co-ordination Committee, said, the area of the Dashiarchhara is around seven square-kilometres. Before being included with Bangladesh, Dashiarchhara enclave would be considered as an Anchal (like Bangladeshi union parishad).”

However the people are not aware about the health care here due to lack of institutional education and lack of awareness while some people lead yet the backdated lives. As the government has been established union health and family planning centre in each union, therefore we are demanding to establish a health sub-centre in the Dashiarchhara. Then we would expect doctor with medicine facilities, Mostafa said.

Phulbari Upazila Health and Family Planning Officer Dr. Sumon Kanti Saha said, no separate health sub-centre has been established yet to six unions under Phulbari upazila. if Dashiarchhara residents want a separate sub-centre, they can pray directly to the DG (Health). The health department will decide them.