Investigation has revealed new clues to sending 'date-expired' medicines towards Jessore at dead night. Police are now on hunt for the store keeper of civil surgeon's office.

Investigation officer (IO) of the case Sub Inspector Shajahan said, "Investigations revealed that the date-expired medicines were being taken towards Jessore at dead night in an ambulance for marketing those again after putting new dates.

"The storekeeper and a leader of pro-BNP doctors' association were the masterminds behind the misdeeds. We are trying to nab the storekeeper, which is essential for submitting of charge-sheet", the IO told this correspondent on Thursday,

date-expired medicines were supplied to different medicine shops in Jessore. The shop owners put new dates and sold those, the IO told this correspondent.

It was also revealed that medicines were stored for long at civil surgeon's store instead of giving to patients at different hospitals. When their dates expired, those were supplied to medicine shops, the IO said.

The storekeeper and the doctor were not brought to book initially as the driver of the medicine-loaded ambulance misguided the investigators through his confessional statement made under Section 164.

On May 25, at around 2-00 am, patrol police near Harishpur bus stand on Magura-Jessore highway saw the ambulance of Shalikha Upazila Health Complex speeding towards Jessore.

On suspicion, police stopped the ambulance and seized 'date-expired' medicines worth about Tk 50 thousand. They arrested ambulance driver Zafar.

The medicines included Cotrim tablets and syrup, Irithromycin syrup and Aspectomycin injection.

Assistant Sub-Inspector of Shalikha police station Sohrab Hossain as a complainant filed a case (no.9 date: May 26) under Section 25(Ga) of Special Power Act with Shalikha police station. Zafar was produced before a court, which sent him to jail hajat following his confessional statement.

The IO said ambulance driver Zafar told them after arrest that the date-expired medicines were being taken for dumping into river near Simakhali bridge on Magura-Jessore highway. But investigations later revealed that those were being taken to Jessore for supply to medicine shops, the IO added.

The driver also said that the dumping was ordered by the storekeeper at Magura civil surgeon's office, the IO told The Daily Star.

Zafar gave the confessional statement when he was produced before court at Shalikha upazila, the IO said.

More information will be revealed after arrest of the store keeper, now on the run, police said.

This correspondent talked to the store keeper in his hideout. Store keeper Lutfor Rahman denied the allegation and claimed that he had no ulterior motive in sending the date-expired medicines. Those were sent for dumping in the river, he claimed.

When contacted, Magura Civil Surgeon Dr. Fariduddin Ahmed said that he was on leave till May 28 and that he did not know anything about the matter.

"After joining I discussed the matter with officials and came to know that the medicines were not date-expired and those were sent on May 25 for patients of Shalikha Upazila Health Complex", the CS said.

The civil surgeon avoided direct replies when asked why the medicines were sent at dead of night on a holiday and why the ambulance was going towards Jessore instead of Shailkupa. He said those were dispatched from the store at 4-30 pm.

As by this correspondent, Medical Officer at civil surgeon's office Dr. Alimuzzamn who was the acting CS on that day (May 25) said, "On Thursday afternoon (May 25), I signed a paper written by the storekeeper for sending medicines to Shalikha Upazila Health Complex".

In reply to another question, Alimuzzaman said, "It's not my responsibility to see whether the medicines were date-expired or not".

The incident has now become a talk of the town. Many people in Magura raise questions how 'date-expired' medicines could be available in store while hospital authorities failed to meet the minimum requirement of medicine for patients for years before declaration of emergency.

"Before January 11 (this year), patients in four hospitals in the district had to buy even a syringe from outside and hospital authorities did not supply any medicine to patients", said an owner of a medicine shop adjacent to the Magura Sadar Hospital seeking anonymity.

This correspondent also talked to several doctors at Magura Sadar Hospital. Declining to be named, they alleged that in last 10 years, some unscrupulous officials amassed crores of Taka in the name of purchasing medicines and other materials for the hospitals.

Patients were deprived but medicines worth lakhs of Taka were shown as date-expired and sold, the doctors claimed.

Properly investigation will not only unveil last 10 years' misappropriation of medicine, but also will help to identify the culprits who were involved in grabbing patients' medicine for years, the doctors said.