The Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) has interrogated Asadul Islam, former secretary at the Health Services Division under the Health Ministry, on allegations of various irregularities and corruption in the health sector, including the agreement with Regent Hospital.
An ACC high-level team interrogated Asadul, who is now senior secretary at the Planning Ministry, at his office in Dhaka at 10am on Monday.
Senior Secretary Asadul Islam was questioned for comments on these issues and other corruption in the health sector.
The ACC team, led by the ACC Director General Sayeed Mahbub Khan, interrogated him while members of investigation teams probing Regent Hospital, JKG Health Care, and N95 mask scandals were also present.
On June 4, the government had transferred Asadul Islam to the Planning Division due to allegations of irregularities in the procurement of masks for health service providers in the public sector during the Covid-19 crisis.
A week later, Asadul was promoted to the rank of senior secretary.
On August 12 and 13, ACC interrogated five officials of the DGHS, including its former director general Abul Kalam Azad.
During the interrogation, Azad claimed that the agreement with Regent Hospital was reached due to the verbal instructions of the then health secretary Asadul Islam.
After his first day of interrogation, the former DG also denied any involvement in the scam, saying he had been honest in performing his duties in the position he occupied.
He further said the government had appointed him on a contractual basis for the second time due to his previous experience after his regular term came to an end.
The ACC has already conducted primary inquiry and interrogation of officials as part of its investigation into scams involving Regent Hospital, JKG Health Care, and N-95 masks, said ACC sources.
Earlier in July, all DGHS officials in question denied their involvement in a statement and said they had followed the directives of the ministry.