Missing Health Ministry Files: 6 staffers picked up for interrogation

The Criminal Investigation Department of police yesterday picked up six staffers of the health ministry for interrogation over 17 files missing from the ministry's medical education division.

The six were taken to CID headquarters by a microbus, an additional superintendent of CID told The Daily Star.

CID officials also collected evidence from the room of the secretariat, from where the files went missing.

"As part of the shadow investigation, we came here (the ministry) to interrogate (the staffers). We will interrogate them and let you know the details later on," Md Kamruzzaman, a special superintendent of CID, told reporters on the spot.

A CID source said those who used to look after the files at the branch are being quizzed. They were still at the CID HQ till the filing of this report at 7pm.

Earlier, the health ministry on Thursday filed a general diary after the 17 files, deemed 'important', went missing.

On Saturday, it formed a three-member committee to probe into how the files went missing from its premises.

Meanwhile, Ali Noor, secretary to the Medical Education and Family Welfare Division, yesterday told reporters that there is nothing confidential in the missing files.

"The information in the files is in our other departments, in our computers, in our DG offices," he said at the secretariat while replying to query from journalists. He said though this back-up is not a problem, but the fact that the files went missing is.

Asked whether he suspected anyone in the ministry, he said, "It's difficult to say now. Because we don't really know who did it..."

"However, we have told police that they can interrogate

everyone so that we can know the information and recover the files," he said.

Asked about whether a case will be filed in this regard, the secretary said, "It is under investigation. After knowing about the progress, the next step will be taken."

A team of Shahbagh Police Station, which is investigating the GD, also visited the spot, said Moudud Hawlader, officer-in-charge of the police station. The majority of the files were related to procurement by different medical colleges and health institutions, according to the missing list.

According to the general diary filed with the Shahbagh police station, the files were stored in a room where the activities of the Purchase and Collection-2 Section are conducted under the supervision of Shahadat Hossain, additional secretary (development) of the medical education and family welfare division of the ministry.

The room is adjacent to Hossain's office at room No 29 of building No 3 at the secretariat.

Md Joseph Sardar and Ayesha Siddiqa, the stenographers/computer operators of the Purchase and Collection-2 Section, work in the room from where the files went missing.

Before leaving office on Wednesday, the two had kept the files in their cabinet. Around noon on Thursday, they discovered the files were missing when they went to bring out folders from the cabinet.