Health and family welfare minister Sardar Md Sakhawat Hossain on Sunday accused Dhaka’s Ad-din Hospital of gross medical negligence, serious safety violations and running commercial operations inside its premises.

He alleged that the failures contributed to the deaths of six newborns last month.

Participating in the discussion on the proposed 2026–27 national budget in Jatiya Sangsad, the minister said six newborns died at Ad-din after allegedly being exposed to hypercapnia caused by inadequate ventilation, a non-functioning central air-conditioning system and the absence of adequate emergency oxygen support.

He claimed that mothers desperately sought help while no on-duty doctors were available and nurses failed to respond to emergency calls.

The minister told parliament that he personally visited the hospital the day after the incident and spoke to doctors, finding evidence of serious negligence.

He also criticised the hospital authorities for allegedly failing to provide compensation to the victim families despite promises.

Sakhawat further alleged that the hospital had established a commercial bakery inside the medical college hospital premises and allowed hazardous plastic waste.

Warning of fire risks, the minister said large quantities of combustible plastic waste had been stored inside the hospital compound, posing a serious threat to patients and attendants.

The minister urged opposition lawmakers not to portray the government’s actions as politically motivated, saying the measures were taken solely to protect public health and ensure accountability.