Mohammad Anwar Hossain, 45, from Santosh in Tangail, died of a stroke in August last year.
A Kuwait expatriate, he had returned home on vacation when he suffered the stroke. He was taken to Tangail Medical College Hospital, but as the facility lacked the necessary treatment, he was referred to Dhaka. After hours of delay, he died shortly after reaching a hospital in the capital, his cousin Liton Hasan told The Business Standard.
In contrast, Mohammad Alamgir Hossain, 42, received timely treatment in Dhaka after a stroke. Last year, he suddenly lost his balance and fell while boarding a bus to work. He was taken to Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College Hospital and then referred to the National Institute of Neurosciences and Hospital, where he underwent mechanical thrombectomy within a couple of hours of the stroke.
The procedure cost around Tk1.35 lakh. After about a week in intensive care and rehabilitation at the Centre for the Rehabilitation of the Paralysed (CRP) in Savar, he returned to work.
Alamgir now leads an almost normal life, his nephew Liton told TBS.
As Bangladesh observes World Stroke Day on 29 October, under the theme “Every Minute Counts”, public health experts are calling for wider access to life-saving stroke treatment beyond major cities. They want intravenous thrombolysis (IV thrombolysis), which uses medication to dissolve blood clots, made available at district-level hospitals, alongside better access to mechanical thrombectomy, a procedure that removes clots using specialised devices.
Dr Humayun Kabir Himu, associate professor of neurology at the National Institute of Neurosciences and Hospital, said eligible patients are more likely to benefit from IV thrombolysis when it is administered within four and a half hours of symptom onset.
With the necessary diagnostic tests, trained doctors and hospital facilities, the treatment can be provided at district-level hospitals, he said, adding that medicine specialists could also help deliver it alongside neurologists.
Mechanical thrombectomy requires specialised equipment and skilled personnel, limiting its availability. Expanding modern stroke treatment beyond major cities could reduce premature deaths and disability, Dr Himu said.
Infographic: TBS
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Infographic: TBS
A nationwide population-based study, “Prevalence and Risk Factors of Stroke in Bangladesh”, published in 2022, found a stroke prevalence of 11.39 per 1,000 people. According to the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics’ Bangladesh Sample Vital Statistics 2023, stroke is the country’s second-leading cause of death.
Dr Md Shafiqul Islam, professor of neurosurgery at Dhaka Medical College Hospital, said the first four hours after a stroke are critical, although selected patients may benefit from treatment later. Coordinated action by hospital authorities, doctors, anaesthesiologists and family members is essential to ensure prompt care, he added.
A study titled “Stroke Burden in Bangladesh and Imaging Practices”, published on 20 March 2025, found that ischaemic strokes account for around 80% of cases. It identified delays in reaching hospitals and obtaining diagnostic imaging as major barriers, particularly in rural areas. Rural patients faced 25% longer delays in accessing imaging than urban patients, while nearly 60% of stroke patients did not receive thrombolytic therapy because of delays in reaching hospitals and obtaining imaging.
Limited access to CT scans and MRI, shortages of specialised services and low public awareness of stroke symptoms further impede timely treatment.
The 2025 study also highlighted the potential of artificial intelligence-assisted brain imaging to speed up diagnosis, although access to the technology remains limited in Bangladesh.
Doctors said IV thrombolysis and mechanical thrombectomy are available at the National Institute of Neurosciences and Hospital. Limited services are also available at Bangladesh Medical University, Dhaka Medical College Hospital, Bangladesh Specialized Hospital, Ibn Sina Medical College Hospital in Kallyanpur and a hospital in Sylhet.
Data show that 537 patients received IV thrombolysis at the National Institute of Neurosciences and Hospital between 2020 and 2026, including 70 in 2026. Another 150 patients underwent mechanical thrombectomy, including 50 this year.
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