Health professionals won’t be able to add ‘Dr’ before their names if they don’t achieve MBBS or BDS degree, according to a  verdict delivered by the High Court on Saturday.

Bachelor of Medicine and a Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS )is an undergraduate medical degree in the course to become a doctor. BDS (Bachelor of Dental Surgery) is a 5-year undergraduate program required for the students aspiring to work as dentists at government or private hospitals. BDS is one of the most popular medical courses after MBBS in Bangladesh.

The HC in its full verdict  Saturday stated the government's decision of allowing homeopathy, unani and ayurvedic healthcare professionals to use "Dr" before their names  is "illegal".

The HC bench of Justice Md Ashraful Kamal and Justice Razik-Al-Jalil has delivered the verdict.

“Only MBBS and BDS degrees can use the prefix 'Dr' under the Bangladesh Medical and Dental Council Act, 2010,” the bench observed.

The HC bench said the ‘illegal’ decision of the health department to allow homeopathy, unani and ayurvedic under the operational plan titled 'Alternative Medical Care' to use 'Dr' before their names was very unfortunate.

A short verdict over the matter was delivered on November 19 last year following a writ petition seeking necessary directives on this issue.

The 71-page full text of the HC verdict was relaeased on Saturday.