An application has been filed with the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) seeking legal action against former chief adviser Muhammad Yunus over alleged embezzlement, irregularities, and corruption regarding the procurement of vaccines and syringes for children.
The complaint also names former health adviser Nurjahan Begum.
Biplab Kumar Das, a Supreme Court lawyer, submitted the application to the ACC Chairman Mohammad Abdul Momen on Monday. The plea calls for a thorough inquiry into the misappropriation of funds intended for the purchase of vaccines for measles and other life-threatening diseases.
In the application, Das expressed concern as a conscious citizen and legal professional over the recent outbreak of measles, which has reportedly caused the deaths of over a hundred children across the country.
He noted that various media outlets have highlighted a severe crisis in the government’s supply of essential vaccines, leading to the current spike in fatalities.
The lawyer stated that health experts and citizens, through social and electronic media, have held Muhammad Yunus and Nurjahan Begum responsible for the tragic loss of lives. Additionally, the current government has remarked that the shortage of measles vaccines and syringes is a problem inherited from the previous administration.
The application further alleges that the previous interim government introduced a new vaccine procurement method without any prior preparation.
It claims that despite having an adequate budget allocated for the health sector, the administration failed to purchase and distribute vaccines for measles and other diseases in a timely manner.
The measles outbreak has escalated into an epidemic. According to various sources cited in the application, hundreds of children have already died, while thousands more are currently hospitalised and fighting for their lives due to inadequate preventive measures.
The lawyer argued that the lack of transparency regarding the new procurement system and the failure to utilise the health budget effectively – despite the availability of funds – strongly indicate corruption and irregularities.
He pointed out that several media reports have already surfaced regarding direct irregularities in the health sector’s procurement of vaccines and syringes.
Emphasising the need for accountability, the application stressed that an ACC investigation is essential in the public interest to protect the country’s health and financial sectors, and to ensure the safety of children’s lives.
