Workplace Violence Against Physicians in Bangladesh: A Contemporary Systems‐Based Narrative Review of Current Evidence

Background Workplace violence against physicians is an occupational and public health challenge in resource‐constrained healthcare systems. In Bangladesh, physician shortages, overcrowding, service delays, inadequate security, and institutional constraints may increase exposure to clinical environments. This narrative review synthesized evidence on forms, perpetrators, determinants, consequences, institutional responses, and prevention using a systems‐based and socio‐ecological perspective. Methods A narrative review was conducted with reference to the Scale for the Assessment of Narrative Review Articles (SANRA). PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar were searched for peer‐reviewed publications from January 2022 to May 2026. The primary evidence comprised studies reporting workplace violence among physicians or physician‐specific findings in Bangladeshi healthcare settings. Contextual evidence was considered separately to inform interpretation. Methodological quality was assessed using Joanna Briggs Institute critical appraisal tools. Findings were synthesized thematically because methodological heterogeneity precluded quantitative pooling. Results Twelve studies constituted the evidence base. Psychological and verbal violence were most common, with patients’ relatives or attendants frequently identified as perpetrators. Younger and early‐career physicians, emergency department staff, and night‐shift workers appeared particularly vulnerable, although demographic associations varied. Recurring determinants included treatment delays, overcrowding, staffing constraints, communication difficulties, inadequate security, weak reporting mechanisms, governance limitations, and health‐system pressures. Workplace violence was associated with psychological distress, burnout, reduced job satisfaction, defensive medical practice, workforce instability, and disruption of healthcare delivery. Institutional reporting, investigation, and post‐incident support remained inadequate. Conclusion Workplace violence against physicians in Bangladesh is a systems‐level occupational, governance, and healthcare‐resilience challenge arising from interacting individual, interpersonal, organizational, health‐system, and societal conditions. Prevention should extend beyond reactive security measures to workforce strengthening, standardized reporting and accountability, legal protection, occupational support, communication and de‐escalation, and public engagement. Future research should prioritize standardized measurement, longitudinal and intervention studies, and underrepresented healthcare settings.