The Anti-Corruption Commission on Monday suspended its director Khan Md Mizanul Islam for allegedly accepting treatment expenses from a graft suspect.
The commission issued a notification signed by its chairman Mohammad Abdul Momen regarding the suspension of the director posted at the commission headquarters.
According to the notification, it was observed on social media that Khan Md Mizanul Islam, director of the ACC, had received unethical benefits from Mahbubul Anam, director of Evercare Hospital in Dhaka, who is facing an ACC inquiry into graft allegations.
A secret investigation conducted on the order of the commission found Mizanul was admitted to Evercare Hospital on August 17 and discharged on August 20 after treatment.
However, instead of settling the outstanding bill of Tk 2,04,132, he was discharged based on a guarantee provided by Mahbubul Anam, said the notification.
The matter was placed before the commission’s Internal Anti-Corruption Committee on September 4 for the sake of ‘importance and national interest’ of the complaint, where it was decided to initiate departmental action against Mizanul, the ACC said.
UK-based journalist Zulkarnain Saer posted on his social media on September 2 about Mizanul’s medical expenses.
In his post, he shared the hospital bill documents and wrote: ‘Can it ever be ethical for a director of the ACC to receive such benefits from someone under investigation by a subordinate department?’
‘If the ones entrusted with the responsibility of combating corruption befriend individuals or organisations accused of it, why should they not face the strongest punitive action?’
Earlier on September 4, the ACC suspended its two officials over allegations of corruption, bribery and amassing illegal wealth.
The two officials were ACC deputy director Mahbubul Alam and deputy assistant director Mohammad Zulfikar, both were posted at the commission headquarters.
