A Dhaka court granted bail to Former Director General (DG) of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) Abul Kalam Azad in a graft case on Thursday.

Earlier in the morning, he surrendered before the court of Dhaka Metropolitan Senior Special Judge KM Imrul Kayesh and appealed for bail.

The court passed the bail order after hearing on the bail petition.

The Judge said the bail order will remain valid until November 2.

On September 20, the Anti-Corruption Commission sued Abul Kalam Azad, along with Regent Hospital Chairman Mohammed Shahed for embezzling government funds.

According to case statement, Azad stands accused of signing a COVID-19 treatment deal with Regent, an unlicensed hospital.

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.

Farid Ahmed Patwary, the deputy director of the anti-graft commission, started a 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. 

Later, on September 30, Farid Ahmed Patwari submitted the chargesheet against six persons, including the former DG. 

BDST: 1314 HRS, OCT 07, 2021
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