Dhaka, March 29 -- Health Minister Sardar Sakhawat Hossain Bakul has accused previous governments of "plundering" the health sector, claiming Upazila health complexes lack even basic funds to purchase gauze, bandages, and syringes.

Speaking in parliament on Sunday, in response to a question from Gaibandha-4 MP Mohammad Shamim Kaiser, the minister said decades of mismanagement have left no funds for developmental work.

"The 250-bed hospitals currently under construction also show major flaws in planning," he said.

"In some, engineers placed bathrooms at entrances, leaving areas inaccessible and filled with foul odours. Hastily executed projects were started purely to siphon money."

The session, convened after a 13-day Eid and holiday r...