Theft of govt drugs sparks protest in Lalmonirhat

Police on Thursday arrested a woman with government allocated medicines for Hatibandha upazila health complex from Dowani in Hatibandha upazila.
Medicines including tablets, capsules and syrups worth about Tk 20 thousand were also seized from the possession of the arrestee, Benazir Begum, 26, wife of Delowar Hossain, a resident of South Goddimari village of Hatibandha upazila in the district.
Meanwhile, locals brought out a procession at Hatibandha yesterday demanding probe into the theft and punishment to the 'real' culprits.
On-duty police at Dalia Barrage caught the woman with the medicines when she was going to Dimla upazila of Nilphamari district for selling it, police said, adding that the woman said during interrogation that she took the items from her relative Sirazul Islam, storekeeper of Hatibandha upazila health complex.
Referring to the arrestee, police said she and two other women had been conducting the illegal business for the last two years. Two-thirds of the money from illegal selling of the medicines goes to the storekeeper while the seller gets the rest, they added.
Denying the allegation, storekeeper Sirazul Islam said, “I don't know the woman and I never take a single medicine from the store for selling in the market.”
Hatibandha police station officer in charge Enamul Karim said a case was lodged against the arrested woman and police is investigating the matter on the basis of her statement.
When contacted, Hatibandha Upazila Health and Family Planning Officer Dr Bimol Kumar Roy said, "Police has informed me of the matter. My office will conduct an inquiry and take action if any hospital staff is found guilty."