A 70-year-old patient died inside an ambulance on Tuesday after local ambulance operators allegedly blocked his transfer to Dhaka at multiple points in Shariatpur.

The deceased, Jamshed Ali Dhali, a resident of Kutubpur area in Shariatpur Sadar upazila, was being taken to the National Institute of Neurosciences and Hospital in Dhaka when he died around 3:00pm, according to police and family members.

Police said the ambulance was delayed for nearly two hours after being stopped at least twice by members of a local ambulance syndicate, allegedly for refusing to pay extra money.

Earlier in the morning, Jamshed was taken to Shariatpur Sadar Hospital after suddenly falling ill. Emergency department doctors suspected a stroke and referred him to Dhaka for advanced treatment.

According to family members, they initially hired a local ambulance for Tk 6,500. However, after the patient was placed inside the vehicle, several local ambulance operators allegedly demanded an additional Tk 2,000, insisting that no patient could be taken to Dhaka without paying their syndicate.

The family later arranged another ambulance for Tk 5,000. Fearing obstruction, they took the patient from the hospital to Chowrangi using a battery-run auto-rickshaw before placing him in the Dhaka-bound ambulance.

However, shortly after departure, the ambulance was stopped at Premtala area of Shariatpur Sadar and again at Jamtala area of Zajira upazila. At the second location, syndicate members allegedly set up a barricade using two ambulances and assaulted the driver and helper, witnesses and family members said.

The vehicle was eventually released following local intervention, but Jamshed died later inside the ambulance at Bangla Motor in Dhaka. Doctors at the Neurosciences Hospital declared him dead.

Palong Model Police Station Officer-in-Charge Shah Alam confirmed the death to The Daily Star.

Quoting the family, he said they verbally reported the incident at the police station on Tuesday night and were asked to submit a written complaint.

“Once we receive a written complaint, legal action will be taken against those responsible,” the OC said.

Ambulance driver Md Salman said such obstruction is routine. “If we bring an ambulance from Dhaka, local operators demand Tk 2,000 to Tk 4,000 as commission. Without their permission, they do not allow us to carry patients,” he told The Daily Star.

He claimed that on Tuesday, 10–12 local operators stopped their vehicle twice and assaulted him and his helper.

The victim’s grandson Jobayer Hossain Roman demanded punishment for those involved.

One of the accused ambulance operators, Suman, denied involvement, claiming he was not present at the scene and only questioned the driver over phone about picking up a patient without informing local operators.

Shariatpur Ambulance Owners’ Welfare Association President Md Abdul Hai Molla said he was unaware of the incident but added that if any local operators were involved, they should face strict punishment.

Meanwhile, Shariatpur Sadar Hospital emergency physician Dr Khandaker Rashed Ahmed said Jamshed showed symptoms consistent with a stroke, including repeated vomiting and hypertension, and was appropriately referred to Dhaka.

This is the second such death in Shariatpur in recent weeks. On August 14, a newborn died inside an ambulance in Damudya upazila after being obstructed by an ambulance syndicate. A case was later filed, and a three-member probe committee was formed by the civil surgeon.