Large quantities of medicines and medical supplies have been found buried in the ground at Satkhira Medical College Hospital (SMCH).
Hospital staff said around 15 large sacks of medicines were unearthed in the early hours of Saturday near the septic tank adjacent to the hospital canteen.
Rain caused the soil to wash away, revealing the buried stash.
Locals said the news of the hidden medicines and supplies spread after labourers were negotiating the price of reburying the sacks with some storekeepers.
Police collected some samples of the medicines, and assigned Ansar members to guard the rest, confirmed Satkhira Sadar police station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Mostafizur Rahman.
OC Mostafizur said: "Two probe committees have been formed to investigate the incident. Police will collect the rest of the medicines after the probe committees inspect the area.”
A five-member probe committee will investigate under Deputy Commissioner (DC) and District Magistrate S M Mostafa Kamal.
Another probe committee of five members will include Additional Deputy Commissioner Md Badiuzzaman and Upazila Nirbahi Officer Debashis Roy.
DC Mostafa said: "We ordered the probe committees to submit their reports within seven days."
Meanwhile, another three-member probe committee was formed at the hospital, confirmed SMCH Administrator Dr Md Shahjahan Ali.
Dr Shahjahan said: "Various kinds of medicines and medical supplies, including bandages and cannula, turned up in the place that have expiry dates till 2022."
ver, Dr Shahjahan said the medicines are not from the hospital stores. "None (medicines) has any government seal.
"We use bandages made of cloth, but the bandages uncovered are of paper. Storekeeper Ahsan Habib and Store Officer Bibhash Chandra reported to me that no medicines are missing."
A relative of a patient said: "My father has been admitted at this hospital for a long time. We had to buy all necessary medicines, which are not available in the hospital stores, from the market.
"The life-saving medicines which we are supposed to get for free are stolen by dishonest people. I demand exemplary punishment of those who are involved in stealing medicines."
