Corruption and irregularities have continued in the health sector of Bangladesh with poor actions against corrupt people, observed governance campaigners.

The observation came as the Anti-Corruption Commission is moving at a snail’s pace in conducting inquiries and investigations into allegations of irregularities in the sector despite serious criticism from various quarters, including lawmakers from the ruling Awami League and opposition.

The commission has initiated inquiries and investigations into various incidents of corruption and irregularities in the health sector, exposed following the outbreak of the novel coronavirus in the country in March 2020.

Several ACC officials told New Age that they were going slow with the probes after they had been instructed to do so.
 
They said that commission superiors were convinced by a vested quarter somehow that Covid health services would possibly be disrupted if the probes went speedily during the ongoing Covid crisis.

The commission inquiries and investigations mainly followed drives by law enforcement agencies and media reports that unearthed various incidents of corruption.

The agencies nabbed many people for making fake Covid certificates and using substandard equipment to treat Covid patients.    

Governance campaigners said that the Anti-Corruption Commission, in most cases, was following other agencies as it reflected the government’s intention.

The idea that the commission serves the government has become clearer after it halted its probes as other agencies went silent, they said.          

ACC commissioner Md Mozammel Haque Khan, however, told New Age that the commission had failed to complete the inquiries and investigations in due time as offices remained closed for the Covid situation.

He said that they did not consider any request or influence from any quarter as regards to any ACC inquiry or investigation.

The commission will instruct the officials concerned to complete the probes after the ongoing restrictions go, he said.

He further said that the commission was monitoring the media to pick new corruption allegations as it was sincere enough in dealing with allegations.