Background Healthcare institutions around the world have been going through extensive reorganisation as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Being on the front line of the COVID-19 battle, doctors worldwide had to adapt to these changing workplace dynamics and expectations of the patients. Accordingly, the aim of this qualitative study was to explore the experience of the Bangladeshi physicians on these sudden changes in their workplaces and identify the core workplace needs of the Bangladeshi front-line doctors using the ABC (autonomy, belonging and competence) model of the doctors’ workplace needs framework designed by the General Medical Council, UK.

Methods Front-line physicians from Bangladesh who were working during the COVID-19 pandemic were recruited through convenience sampling for this qualitative study. In total, 29 in-depth telephone interviews were conducted with the participant doctors and transcribed interviews were analysed using template analysis.

Results Most participants reported a lack of preparedness, safety measures, basic amenities, and essential hospital equipment at their workplaces. The increased workload, altered work schedule, and redistribution of team members were pointed out as crucial workplace challenges, along with the lack of professional recognition and reward mechanisms for their services during the pandemic. The majority of participants also reported leadership and managerial weaknesses. Furthermore, their usual learning and training process was hampered following the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Conclusions This study has revealed how the front-line physicians perceived the drastic changes resulting from the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic and the key challenges they experienced at the workplace. These findings signify the ardent need for the government and policymakers in the health sector of Bangladesh to undertake a holistic approach toward ensuring a workplace capable of providing adequate support and protection to their doctors, particularly during a catastrophic event like this pandemic in the future.