Health Officer in Sujanagar Alleges Threats over Hospital Tender, Stays Away from Workplace

The Upazila Health and Family Planning Officer of Sujanagar in Pabna, Dr Suprabha Rani, has alleged that Upazila Jubo Dal convener Siddiqur Rahman Pintu threatened her and pressured her to cancel a tender for supplying MSR items to the Sujanagar Upazila Health Complex. Saying she feels insecure, the physician is currently not attending her workplace.

The incident took place at the health complex at noon on Tuesday (3 November). Denying the allegation, Jubo Dal leader Siddiqur Rahman Pintu claimed the tender process involved widespread irregularities and that they had gone there only to discuss the matter; no one was threatened.

Dr Suprabha Rani said a tender worth Tk 80.76 lakh was invited on 10 September through the e-GP process for six packages under the health complex's MSR head. Following the advice of senior officials and e-GP rules, bids were evaluated online and work was awarded to four firms on 2 November. But several local leaders, claiming the tender conditions were too stringent, began pressing for its cancellation.

She said that on Tuesday, while she was busy in a meeting in the conference room, a group of eight to ten people led by Siddiqur Rahman Pintu suddenly cut the electricity connection to her official room and turned the CCTV camera around. They then entered the room, bolted the door and pressured her to cancel the tender.

Dr Suprabha Rani said: ‘I was being pressured to invite the tender again, outside the rules. When I refused, they intimidated me in various ways and threatened to deal with me outside the office. I am suffering from extreme insecurity. For now, I am not going to the office. I have verbally informed the local administration, and I am also preparing to file a written complaint with the Civil Surgeon.’

The hospital's Resident Medical Officer (RMO), Dr Wasim Khan, said: ‘Those who did not get the tender were questioning the health officer about various matters and shouting. When I went to the health officer's room, I found the CCTV camera turned over. Some unruly people may have done this. Police officers came after the station was informed.’

Dr Wasim Khan added that although he is a member of the tender evaluation committee, he was not informed of the details of the process. He said any irregularity could have been reported to the authorities concerned, but such shouting inside a hospital is in no way acceptable.

Denying the allegation, Sujanagar Upazila Jubo Dal convener Siddiqur Rahman Pintu said the tender process involved extensive irregularities and corruption. Despite holding valid contractor licences, no local person was given work; instead, a committee was secretly formed with people brought from another district and special conditions were attached, he alleged, claiming this was done in collusion with the health officer to give undue advantage to several firms through her husband.

Pintu said: ‘We only went to talk about the irregularities. She was not confined, nor was she threatened with death. The OC sahib was also present there. She is now raising false allegations to conceal her own corruption.’

Pabna Civil Surgeon Abul Kalam Azad said that, as far as he knows, the tender process in Sujanagar was completed according to the rules. He said such harassment after failing to win tenders has recently been occurring at various offices, and that he himself had faced such a situation before; such behaviour is in no way acceptable. He said the health officer has been advised to stay safe for a few days and that institutional action will be taken quickly.

Sujanagar police station's officer-in-charge, Mozaffar Hossain, said he was called from the hospital on the day of the incident and saw several people there. However, no complaint was made to him that the health officer had been confined. Later, after he left to pray, he learned the health officer had left the premises. He said he has not yet received any written or verbal complaint about the incident, and legal action will be taken if a complaint is filed.