Health Minister orders immediate action against IPH dress code notice

Health Minister Zahid Maleque has directed his ministry’s secretary and the director general of Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) to take immediate action regarding a dress code notice issued by the Institute of Public Health (IPH) for Muslim employees.

He gave the direction on Thursday when his attention was drawn to the notice, according to the public relations officer of the ministry.

The ministry and the DGHS have show-caused the IPH director.

In the notice issued Wednesday, the IPH asked its Muslim staff to maintain a specific dress code.

Dr Muhammad Abdur Rahim, director of the institute under the health directorate, asked male employees to wear clothes above the ankle and women below the ankle with hijab.

“It is mandatory to keep mobile phones on silent mode or switch them off during office time and wear clothes above the ankle for men and below the ankle along with hijab for women staffers; and the instruction is to adhere to the dress code," the notice reads.