The director of the cervical and breast cancer screening project is trying to flee the country after committing irregularities of Tk 270 crore. Without explaining the remuneration of the project workers, the project director (PD) has completed all the preparations to go abroad on Monday, it is said that he will leave Dhaka any time today. The government project of Tk 270 crore related to electronic data tracking and population-based diagnosis and treatment of cervical and breast cancer was scheduled to end in June 2025, but the Ministry of Health decided to end it in June this year due to massive corruption in the project. But the project has not been fully audited yet, the project has not been explained to the government. In this situation, 69 doctors, engineers, officers and employees working in the project have expressed concern that Dr. Ashrafunnesa, professor of gynecologic oncologist of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University, wants to go to the UK. They complained that the project director showed the cost 10 times more than the rate at which they have been paid so far. During a recent rummage through the documents, the project workers found several vouchers in this regard showing at least 10 times the salary they were paid. The officials and employees of the project say that if any work is done, the director always takes signatures from them without depositing the amount of money. After witnessing these vouchers, the officers and employees found proof that they were multiplied several times. Copies of these vouchers are in the hands of Naya Diganta.
After witnessing these vouchers, the officers and employees are now saying that according to those vouchers, they will collectively get more than seven crore rupees from the project which PD Professor Ashrafunnesa has withdrawn from the project in their name but has not paid them. Officials and employees say that so far they have been forced to work on this project on low payment because it was written in the official documents of the project that this project will be instituted at one time. For this purpose, the university authorities have allocated 3 floors of F-Block of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University. ‘One day they will be assimilated into the Institute of Cervical and Breast Cancer in this university’ worked for low payment. Now the project will be closed and they are shocked at this attempt to break the dream as the university administration is not ‘owning’ the project. In the meantime, the officials and employees of this project met with the current VC of the university Professor Md. Saidur Rahman and demanded to assimilate them, but no assurance was given from the university administration. On the other hand, they also met the director of the project, Professor Ashrafunnesa, a few days ago.
When they met Prof. Ashrafunnesa and inquired about their dues and other matters, Prof. Ashrafunnesa expressed his inability to give any specific assurance. Cervical and breast cancer-related screening project started in 2004 when they were informed that they will get 7 crore rupees according to the voucher. The project has been run under different names so far. But in 2018, the electronic data tracking system was introduced. Although the work of the project is going on with the manpower of the previous project, doctors, engineers, officers and employees are shown as outsourcing manpower called ‘Skilled Manpower Limited’. The owner of this outsourcing company is the son-in-law of Professor Ashrafunnesa’s daughter. The address of this company is 5th floor of Green Taj Center No. 81, 8/A (New) Road, Dhanmondi, Capital. While looking for the address of the outsourcing company Skilled Manpower Limited, it was found that it is in the private chamber of Professor Ashrafunnesa. Officials of the project said, ‘Though in the name of the son-in-law of Madam Ashrafunnesa’s daughter, he used to do all the manpower work of this outsourcing company himself. In the name of outsourcing, he has taken the salary himself by showing the actual salary is much higher.’