Government hospitals across Bangladesh are plagued by corruption and mismanagement, according to findings from seven consecutive raids conducted by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC). The investigations reveal alarming negligence, inhuman conditions, and anarchy in the health sector.
The ACC found that patients are often denied balanced meals while being billed in full, medical staff are frequently absent, doctors are replaced by technologists or assistants, government medicines are sold privately, tests are performed with expired reagents, and equipment is often non-functional. During a raid on January 15 at the Senbag Upazila Health Complex in Noakhali, ACC officials discovered that only 20 of 35 patients received food, two doctors were absent, and the hospital was unclean. Staff routinely arrived late, some only after noon, violating government working hours.
ACC Deputy Director (Public Relations) Md. Akhtarul Islam said, “The raids have revealed multiple irregularities and mismanagement in government hospitals. Legal action is underway based on the findings.” Analysis of ACC data from January last year to January 19, 2026, shows that 111 government hospitals were raided. The highest number of irregularities—31 hospitals, or 27.9 percent—related to food supply. Financial and tender mismanagement occurred in 28 hospitals, while 24 hospitals had issues with medicines and equipment. Staff absenteeism was noted in 21 hospitals, and seven hospitals showed evidence of broker violence, unsafe environments, and collusion with diagnostic centers.
During the raids, the ACC discovered a wide range of irregularities across multiple hospitals. In Rangpur and Sylhet National Electro Medical Equipment Maintenance Workshops, fake stickers were placed on old equipment and supplied as new. At Bagerhat District Hospital, serious corruption in food supply was found, while Pirojpur District Hospital revealed major irregularities in reagent procurement. An unlicensed private pharmacy was operating inside Noakhali General Hospital, and Manikganj Medical College Hospital faced issues with low-quality food and procurement. At Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College Hospital, doctors and employees were collecting salaries while absent from work. Illegal VIP facilities were discovered for prisoners in BMU Prison Cell. In Patuakhali Hospital, overcharging and mismanagement in medicine distribution were uncovered. Evidence of fake patient admissions, corruption in manpower recruitment, medical assistants seeing patients instead of doctors, artificial shortages of X-ray films, expired medicines, and unusable life-saving equipment was found in hospitals including Kulaura Upazila Health Complex, Super Specialized Hospital, Chunarughat, Kashiani, Birganj, and Kapasia.
The ACC’s findings paint a bleak picture of a deeply flawed health system where corruption and negligence compromise patient care, threaten public health, and undermine trust in government healthcare institutions.
Bd-pratidin English/ Jisan
