Complaint filed with ACC over children's hospital: allegations on recruitment, promotion and patient-referral commissions

Allegations have been raised against Bangladesh Shishu Hospital and Institute over recruitment, promotion, use of administrative power and taking commissions in exchange for transferring patients. A petition has been filed with the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) seeking an investigation against several officials and doctors, including board chairman Professor Dr K M Azizul Haque.

The petition raised financial transactions in recruitment, the contractual appointment of a retired doctor, and commissions taken for sending the hospital's patients to other institutions. It said a powerful circle in the hospital has created dissatisfaction among officials, employees and doctors.

Recently the prime minister visited the hospital and found various irregularities. During the visit she found a doctor smoking in his own room. The board chairman said the doctor was suspended the same day following the prime minister's instruction.

The hospital's board of directors was formed through a Health Services Division notification on 19 February 2025. After that, objections were raised over several recruitment and promotion decisions taken during the tenure of board chairman Professor Dr K M Azizul Haque.

The petition said several doctors were promoted to assistant professor on 18 May 2025 and questions exist over their qualifications and academic degrees. One of them left his job as a medical officer in 2011; the petition said he was later appointed as a professor. Irregularities were also alleged in promotions to associate professor and professor in August 2026. It was even alleged that a doctor without a postgraduate degree was made a professor and a board member.

On 10 October a recruitment notice was published for 50 doctors and 50 more staff including ayahs, ward boys and peons. The complainants alleged financial transactions in those recruitments. There was also an allegation of appointing a man aged about 50, beyond the age limit, as assistant director (development), with a transaction of Tk 20 lakh in that case.

Questions were also raised over the appointment of a retired doctor. The hospital's former consultant Dr Md Azharul Islam was given a contractual appointment as deputy director (hospital). The decision was taken at the board's 22nd meeting on 11 April 2025 at a monthly salary of Tk 75,000. The complainants said that under the institution's organogram, the post could be run by giving additional charge to serving senior doctors.

There are serious allegations over patient transfers. The petition claimed that in collusion with some hospital employees and doctors, an average of 20 to 25 patients are sent to other hospitals every day and a commission is taken per patient. Relatives of child patients are told to go elsewhere on grounds such as no vacant beds or the need for better treatment. Several ward masters, administrative staff and doctors were alleged to be involved in the process.

There were also allegations over allocating room 132(A) of the administrative building for the chairman, buying furniture and entertainment expenses there, and using the hospital's vehicle for personal work. Setting up the office of a political organisation in the hospital's residential area was also mentioned in the petition.

Questions were also raised over the hospital's financial capacity. According to the complaint, about Tk 66 crore is needed annually for the salaries and allowances of around 950 doctors, officials and employees, while the allocation from the health ministry is about Tk 30 crore. The institution has to depend on internal income to meet the deficit. In such a situation, the complaint also mentioned a lack of essential equipment such as CT scan and MRI machines.

Asked about these matters, board chairman Professor Dr K M Azizul Haque said the doctor involved in the smoking incident during the prime minister's visit was suspended the same day.

Denying allegations of recruitment irregularities and money transactions, he said the recruitment process will first screen applications, then hold MCQ tests with OMR evaluation, a written test and viva voce for those who pass. Recruitment has not been completed yet, so the allegation of transactions has no basis. He added that not a single penny has been transacted in any recruitment at the hospital since he became chairman. He also commented that those who question the hospital's activities do not wish the country well.