Eight Sylhet Medical University officials sent to jail in ACC case

A court here today sent eight officials and employees of Sylhet Medical University to jail in connection with an Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) case over alleged irregularities in appointments.

Sylhet Metropolitan Sessions Judge Court Judge Munshi Abdul Majid passed the order after rejecting their bail petitions.

The officials who were sent to jail are Procurement Officer Abdul Munim, Section Officers Rinku Das, Chowdhury Rumman Ahmed and Lokman Ahmed, Administrative Officers Suranjit Ranjan Talukder, Rabiul Alam Bakul and Mohammad Rashedul Islam and Office Assistant-cum-Computer Operator Ruhul Amin.

Earlier in the day, the accused surrendered before the court in the ACC case and sought bail, which was subsequently denied.

According to case documents, the University Grants Commission (UGC) received allegations of widespread irregularities and corruption in the recruitment of officials and employees at Sylhet Medical University, which was established in 2018. Acting on these allegations, the UGC conducted an investigation in 2023.

The investigation found evidence of abuse of power, widespread irregularities and corruption against the then Vice-Chancellor Morshed Ahmed Chowdhury and Acting Registrar Md. Naimul Haque Chowdhury.

Following the investigation, the ACC’s integrated district office in Sylhet filed a case on April 1, 2024, against the former Vice-Chancellor, Acting Registrar and 58 officials on charges of corruption and irregularities in appointments. Subsequently, on April 25, 2024, the court issued arrest warrants against all 58 accused.

ACC sources said that between 2019 and 2022, appointments were made illegally without publishing recruitment notices and without approval from the university Syndicate and the UGC.

From 2019 to 2023, a total of 220 individuals were appointed on a temporary (ad hoc) basis for six months, with their terms later extended multiple times—ranging from two to five extensions—without regularizing the positions.

Several other officials of Sylhet Medical University have previously served jail terms in connection with corruption cases linked to the same allegations.