Ex-DG of health services Abul Kalam Azad gets bail in ACC case

A Dhaka court has granted bail to the former DG of health services, Abul Kalam Azad, in a case filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission over the Regent Hospital scandal.

Abul Kalam Azad, who resigned recently as the director general of health services, leaving the Anti-Corruption Commission in Dhaka after quizzing over irregularities amid the coronavirus pandemic on Wednesday. Photo: Mahmud Zaman Ovi Abul Kalam Azad, who resigned recently as the director general of health services, leaving the Anti-Corruption Commission in Dhaka after quizzing over irregularities amid the coronavirus pandemic on Wednesday. Photo: Mahmud Zaman Ovi

Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judges' Court's Judge KM Imrul Kayesh granted the bail to Azad until the date scheduled for the next hearing after he surrendered to the court and sought bail in the case on Thursday.

Barrister Masud Mazumder represented Azad in the court during the hearing, while Mir Ahmed Ali Salam stood for the ACC and opposed the bail motion.

Azad had previously appeared before the court on Tuesday to surrender and seek bail, but the judge was occupied with the hearing of another case. The court set Oct 7 for the hearing afterwards.

Farid Ahmed Patwary, the deputy director of the anti-graft commission, recently submitted a chargesheet against six people, including Azad and Regent Hospital Chairman Mohammed Shahed, accusing them of embezzling government funds.

Azad stands accused of signing a COVID-19 treatment deal with Regent, an unlicensed hospital, in the chargesheet.

The four others accused in the case are former DGHS Director Aminul Hasan, Deputy Director Yunus Ali, Assistant Director Shafiur Rahman and Research Officer Didarul Islam.

Patwary started the case against five people -- four DGHS officials and Shahed -- on Sept 23 last year for embezzling Tk 33.4 million through irregularities after signing the deal.

Azad was not initially named in the case but the chargesheet added his name after the investigation. The investigator submitted the chargesheet in the case after a yearlong probe.