DHAKA: The Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) on Monday (July 20) submitted indentures between the government and Regent Hospital to the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).

DGHS official Didarul Islam submitted the documents to ACC deputy director and investigation officer of the case against Regent Hospital Abu Bakar Siddique around 11:30 am.

Earlier on Sunday (July 19) afternoon, a four-member ACC team, led by Abu Bakar Siddique, went to DGHS office for the documents. The team joined a meeting with DGHS Director General Prof Dr Abul Kalam Azad.

ACC on July 13 launched an investigation against Regent Hospital and its Chairman Shahed Karim for various allegations of corruption.

On July 16, a Dhaka court Regent Group Chairman Shahed Karim and its managing director Masud Parvez on ten-day remand each in a case filed over issuing fake Covid-19 certificates and charging patients for treatment.

On July 15, Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) personnel arrested Md Shahed along with an illegal firearm in a border area of Satkhira while he was trying to cross the border by a boat.

Md Shahed was on the run after a case was filed against him on July 7 for issuing fake Covid-19 test reports in his Regent Hospital.

Earlier, RAB members raided Mirpur and Uttara branches of Regent Hospital on July 6 on charges of issuing fake Covid-19 certificates and charging patients excessive fees.

Regent Hospital collected samples from at least 10,000 people. Some 6,000 of them got fake Covid-19 test reports, according to an RAB intelligence report.

On July 7, RAB sealed off Regent Hospital's head office in the capital, and two of the hospital's branches in Uttara and Mirpur, on charges of issuing fake Covid-19 certificates and other misdeeds.

A case was filed against 17 persons, including Regent Group Chairman Shahed, for their alleged involvement in issuing fake Covid-19 certificates and other misdeeds.  

BDST: 1358 HRS, JULY 20, 2020

AP/SMS