Sensitive documents go missing from health ministry

At least 17 files containing sensitive information have mysteriously gone missing from the health ministry.

The incident came to the spotlight Saturday though a general diary (GD) was filed with Shahbagh police station over the incident on Thursday evening. 

The files – mostly purchase documents – were stored at the office of Medical Education and Family Welfare Division Additional Secretary (Development) Shahadat Hossain in the Secretariat.

According to sources, two steno typists cum computer operators at the division Md Joseph Sarder and Ayesha Siddika kept the files inside a cabinet at the office on Wednesday last week.

However, in a bizarre turn of events, officials at the division failed to locate the whereabouts of the sensitive files the following day.

Police said they have already visited the spot and an investigation is underway.

"The health ministry will hold a meeting tomorrow [Sunday] in this regard," Additional Secretary Shahadat Hossain told The Business Standard Saturday.

These files include multiple documents related to purchases for Shaheed Tajuddin Ahmad Medical College, Rajshahi Medical College and other medical colleges, vehicle allocation and purchase-related documents for training schools, data on cervical and breast cancer screening programme, documents on health directorate purchases, and project files under the Bureau of Health Education.

The ministry on Saturday formed a three-member probe committee to look into the matter. The committee will submit the inquiry report within five working days.