The Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) will form a fresh investigation committee to examine the deaths of six newborns at Ad-Din Medical College Hospital in Dhaka, Health and Family Welfare Minister Sardar Md Sakhawat Husain said on Monday.
The new committee, expected to be constituted later in the day, will work alongside an existing probe launched by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
The minister said the DGHS inquiry is necessary to ensure a comprehensive investigation into the incident that occurred at the hospital's Moghbazar facility on 27 May.
Talking to newsmen after a meeting at the Secretariat, Sakhawat said the DGHS committee could not be formed earlier due to the Eid holidays.
"The committee will be constituted today (Monday) and is expected to submit its report within three days," he said.
The minister said investigators would speak with the mothers of the deceased newborns to make their findings more comprehensive and evidence-based.
The health ministry has also sought legal guidance from Attorney General Ruhul Quddus Kazal regarding the scope and functioning of the DGHS-led investigation and the legal procedures that may follow, said the minister.
"We informed the attorney general about the steps we have taken and the process being followed. He has provided legal advice and we will carry out the remaining tasks accordingly. We expect to receive the report within three days and will share the details afterwards," he said.
According to the minister, the head of the ministry's probe committee informed the meeting that its report is expected to be submitted by June 3.
Mr. Sakhawat said legal action would be taken against those who would be found responsible for any wrongdoing.
Following the meeting, Attorney General Ruhul Quddus Kazal said discussions had centred on determining liability and ensuring that appropriate legal measures are taken against those found responsible.
To strengthen the legal aspects of the inquiry, Deputy Attorney General Al Faisal Siddiqui has been included in the investigation process to provide legal support.
"The health minister sought legal assistance and I have outlined the relevant legal issues before the minister and the committee. We believe those genuinely responsible will face justice," the attorney general said.
The minister also said the government was examining how Ad-Din Hospital obtained permission to operate a bakery on its premises after hospital authorities claimed they had secured the necessary licence from the Department of Environment.
"We are examining how and why the licence was issued," he said. The investigations were launched after six newborns died in the hospital's postnatal ward within a span of several hours on 27 May, triggering widespread concern and calls for accountability.
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