Madaripur, Oct 26 (V7N) – An alleged hacking incident has disrupted an e-tender process worth nearly Tk 9 crore for purchasing medical supplies at Madaripur 250-bed District Hospital, preventing contractors from participating in the bidding process and contributing to a shortage of medicines at the facility.
Hospital authorities are facing mounting pressure as the procurement process has been delayed, leaving patients and healthcare providers struggling with inadequate supplies.
According to sources at the Civil Surgeon’s Office and the hospital, the first e-tender for purchasing medical supplies for the 2026–27 fiscal year was invited by the district civil surgeon on September 15. However, shortly after the tender was published online, the website reportedly came under a cyberattack.
The authorities subsequently cancelled the tender and issued a second invitation on October 10. The second attempt was also reportedly disrupted by a similar incident, preventing contractors from participating in the bidding process.
Medical supplies purchased through the tender process for the 2025–26 fiscal year were available until June, but those supplies have since been exhausted. The resulting shortage has placed additional pressure on hospital management and patients seeking treatment.
Billal Hossain Fakir, a local contractor, said he tried to participate in the hospital’s e-tender on October 25 but could not access the bidding process.
“When I tried to open the website, it showed that the tender had been cancelled. The same thing has happened twice with this tender,” he said.
He called for an investigation to identify those responsible for the alleged hacking and to ensure that appropriate action is taken against them.
Senior Madaripur journalist and human rights activist S M Russell also called for an investigation, questioning who was responsible for the repeated disruptions and whose interests might be involved.
He said allegations of irregularities had frequently surfaced concerning the hospital and urged the authorities to ensure transparency in the procurement of medical supplies and other equipment.
Dr Akhil Sarkar, resident medical officer of Madaripur 250-bed District Hospital, said the tender had been invited twice, but technical problems had disrupted both attempts.
The repeated delays were holding up the purchase of medicines and other essential supplies, he said, warning that patients could suffer further if the problem was not resolved quickly.
“If the situation is not resolved soon, we will be unable to provide medicines to patients free of charge,” he said.
Acting Civil Surgeon of Madaripur Md Khaliluzzaman said technical problems had affected the tender process.
He said Civil Surgeon Shariful Abedin Kamal was on leave from October 15 to October 30 and would be better placed to explain the reported hacking incident after returning to work.
No legal action had been taken by the hospital in connection with the incident so far, he added.
The repeated disruption has raised concerns about the security and transparency of the hospital’s procurement process, while the delay in purchasing essential medical supplies has increased the risk of further hardship for patients.
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