The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has been looking for honest and experienced officials for a number of posts under the Directorate General of Health Services.
These posts include director, line director, deputy director, programme manager and deputy programme manager for a number of different institutes and operational programmes under the DGHS.
The ministry on Wednesday transferred three officials of director and deputy director ranks who were engaged with a number of programmes. Reportedly, they were transferred because the programmes involved huge funds and these officials had failed to prove their honesty.
A number of DGHS officials have said a fear of forced transfer and posting had got hold of them.
The Dhaka Tribune has learnt that a total of 17 operation plans were being run by the DGHS under the Health Population Nutrition Sectoral Development Programme (HPNSD) of the government. The ministry has been looking to recruit honest people in the posts for line director, programme manager and deputy programme managers for these programmes.
The Dhaka Tribune has also learnt that a number of intelligence agencies have given reports to the Prime Minister’s Office which said most of the DGHS officials, who run these operational plans, were corrupt.
The reports said these officials took hefty bribes and resorted to widespread irregularities in the procurement processes.
The reports also said most of these corrupt officials were lower and mid-level leaders of the Swadhinata Chikitsak Parishad (Swachip), the ruling party backed doctors’ association.
Sources said the latest spree of transfers was a result of those reports submitted by the intelligence agencies.
On Wednesday, the health ministry issued a letter for the transfer of three high officials of the DGHS. Among them, Officer on Special Duty (OSD) Dr Md Lutfar Rahman was appointed as the new director of the Institute of Public Health and Nutrition (IPHN) and a line director of the National Nutrition Programme.
Dr Lutfar replaced Professor Dr Eklasur Rahman, who had been sent to per-1 of the health ministry for further posting.
They were advised to join their new posts within September 30.
Among others, Dr AKM Jaforullah, who was the programme manager of the Non-Communicable Disease (NCD) programme, was made an OSD.
He would be replaced by Dr ASM Anwar Kamal, who had so far been working as the programme manager of Disease Control.
Seeking anonymity, a number of DGHS officials told the Dhaka Tribune that they were surprised to learn about the transfer of Dr Jaforullah.
They said everyone knew that he was a dishonest officer but he managed to keep his post because he had strong connections with a number of ministers.
Another high-ranked DGHS official told the Dhaka Tribune that on Thursday, the secretary of the health ministry had asked him to look for and make a list of honest and experienced officials by next week.
He said the secretary had confirmed him that at least five to six programme managers and deputy programme managers of a number of operation plans would be transferred by next week.
Professor Dr Khondokar Md Sifyetullah, director general of DGHS, told the Dhaka Tribune: “It is true that ministry has been looking for honest and experienced managers to run the different institutes and programmes. But transfer and postings in different government institutes is a common practice.”
