Zafrullah Chowdhury: A People’s Doctor (1941–2023)

For Dr. Zafrullah Chowdhury (1941–2023), healthcare was a fundamental human right. From treating the wounded and supporting the fighters during Bangladesh’s Liberation War to founding Gonoshasthaya Kendra, a pioneer in community-based healthcare, he devoted his life to serving ordinary people.

Challenging the widespread use of unnecessary medicines, he played a leading role in shaping the groundbreaking 1982 National Drug Policy, improving access to essential medicines, strengthening the domestic pharmaceutical industry, and inspiring reform beyond Bangladesh. A steadfast advocate of women’s freedom and empowerment, he made their participation a guiding principle across Gonoshasthaya’s institutions and programmes.

Through his life and work, the film portrays an outspoken, uncompromising physician whose commitment to equality, democracy, and human dignity sustained a lifelong struggle for a more just society.