Ex- DGHS chief charged in Regent Hospital scam

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has pressed charges against former director general of Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) Abul Kalam Azad in the Regent Hospital scam case.

The graft watchdog approved the charge sheet against Azad and five others on Monday, say media reports.

Five people, including Regent Hospital owner Shahed Karim were accused in the case filed over issuing fake Covid-19 test reports and certificates to patients while the former DGHS chief was implicated during investigation.

According to ACC sources, the charge sheet will be submitted to the court within this week.

Regent Hospital scam

On June 6, 2020, RAB raided the Uttara and Mirpur branches of the Regent Hospital on complaints that the hospital was issuing fake Covid-19 certificates, as well as charging exorbitant fees for Covid-19 testing and treatment of patients. 

RAB also found evidence of at least 6,000 fake Covid-19 test certificates during the raid.

The next day, RAB filed a case against 17 people, including its chairman Mohammad Shahed alias Shahed Karim, with Uttara West police station.

Shahed was arrested by Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) from Debhata upazila of Satkhira while reportedly trying to flee to India in the early hours of July 15, 2020. He was airlifted to the capital in the morning.

On the same day the elite police unit raided his Uttara den and recovered fake notes, among other things, from there.

According to the case statement, 76 labourers of the metro rail project were given fake Covid-19 test reports from the hospital. 

Without even conducting tests on them, three of the workers were given Covid-19 positive reports while the rest were provided with negative reports from the hospital. 

Despite being a Covid-19 dedicated hospital, the authorities of the health facility took Tk3,500 from each of the workers for a coronavirus test.

Rezaul Karim, a sub-contractor of the metro rail project, filed a case against 17 people, including Regent Group owner Shahed and the Managing Director of Regent Hospital (Uttara branch) Mizanur Rahman with Uttara West police station over the issuing of fake Covid-19 certificates.