Disorder at ICDDR Bangladesh  

Unrest brews among the scientists, officers and employees of the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (ICDDR,B). This has been caused by a 40,500 sq ft space of the main building being leased to BRAC for 49 years for an annual rent of one taka, withdrawal of subsidy on meals and transport, and sale of the scientific journal.

The scientists, officers and employees have launched a movement, protesting against several irregularities and voicing their demands. Under the leadership of Karmimangal Sangstha (workers welfare agency), from 29 June till 9 July they wore black badges, held rallies and processions and enforced a blockade at the main gates. The movement has been suspended for Eid. After Eid, they will resume the movement and hold separate consultations with the donor community, health-related local professionals and organisations, and the media. Karmimangal Sangstha is the organisation that represents the scientists, officers and employees of ICDDR,B. The members total around 4500. ICDDR,B has never faced such a situation before.

ICDDR,B’s communications and development department told Prothom Alo, everything is carried out in accordance to the ICDDR,B order, the laws, and the approval of the board of trustees. ICDDR,B authorities welcome the move by Karmimangal Sangstha to highlight the concerns of its members. The authorities are taking into serious consideration all the issues raised by the organisation in recent times.

Nutritionist SK Roy worked with ICDDR,B from 1976 till 2011. He said, it is most unfortunate that scientists work under mental pressure, and have to fight for their rights. The government, the management authorities and the donor community must resolve these problems.

ICDDR,B was set up in the area Mohakhali of the capital city back in 1960. It is internationally renowned for its innovation of oral saline for the treatment diarrhoea. In 1978, through an ordinance, the government made this an international research institution. The government till date has given the institution four acres of land.

At present there are 4,438 local and 24 foreign persons working at ICDDR,B. This include 212 scientists, of whom seven are foreigners. The government of Bangladesh, various organisations of the UN and other countries, donor agencies, universities, foundations, research institutions and persons provide financial and technical support.

A 17-member board of trustees is ICDDR,B’s highest policy-making body. This includes the health secretary, the secretary of the economic relations division, a representative of the government and representatives from various countries and international institutions. One of the policymakers, unwilling to be named, said the government did not want to interfere in this international institution, but it wants it to be transparent and accountable.

One taka annual rent for 40,500sq ft: ICDDR,B has rented out on a 49-year lease the sixth floor of its main building to Brac University’s James P Grant School of Public Health. The lease document was signed by the Brac University vice chancellor at the time, Professor Ainun Nishat and ICDDR,B’s former director Alejandro Cravioto.

The local director of an international institution, who is aware of Brac and ICDDR,B’s work, has said, there has been no transparency in this agreement. Leasing out the space without government approval is a violation of the law. Brac has gained financially through this. And a number of ICDDR,B scientists who have no teaching experience, have become professors.

The lease document shows that the agreement became effective on 1 November 2010 and the term of the lease ends on 31 October 2059. The agreement also says that Brac’s students, teachers, officers and employees can use the seven lifts in different locations of the building, the six emergency exits and the corridors.

The minutes of the meeting held by ICDDR,B’s board of trustees on 15 November 2014 stated that this land was leased to Brac without the knowledge of the board. ICDDR,B told Prothom Alo, Alejandro took the decision to lease this space to Brac. The board of trustees later gave its approval.

Once Brac’s public health school began functioning in the building. Alejandro and several other senior scientists of ICDDR,B began teaching there. Meanwhile, inquiries by the health ministry proved corruption charges against Alejandro and he had to leave his job in June 2012.

Regarding the lease, Brac’s vice chairman Ahmed Moshtaque Raja Chowdhury said, Brac and ICDDR,B jointly formed the James P Grant School of public health and that is why ICDDR,B provided this space. Brac invested Tk 150 million to fix the place up.

The Karmimangal Sangstha is angry because ICDDR,B has had to rent separate buildings in Niketan and Tejgaon to as their was not enough space for its scientists and officers in the main building. About one million taka is spent on rent for these places. On the other hand, Brac has sold two storeys of its multi-storeyed building to a business enterprise.

Sale of journal: ICDDR,B has sold the proprietorship rights of its Journal of Health, Population and Nutrition (JHPN) to Germany’s Biomed Central.

Karmimangal Sangstha said, firstly, there was no need to sell this journal, known as the Lancet of the east. Secondly, this was sold without any international tender process. The scientists and employees are not even aware for how much it was sold.

The new editor of the journal is Professor Abdullah Baqi, a director at the maternity and neonatal centre of Johns Hopkins’ Bloomberg School of Public Health. He is the relation of an influential member of ICDDR,B’s board of trustees.

Subsidy withdrawn: ICDDR,B authorities have been providing subsidy for the canteen meals and transport since 1978. The officers and employees could eat at half price in the canteen and travel at subsidised bus fare. In February the authorities withdrew this subsidy. In protest, a large section of the scientists, officers and employees have stopped using the canteen and bus facilities.

Karmimangal Sangstha told Prothom Alo, from 1980 till 20111, the institution had a budget deficit. For the last three years it has had budget surplus. In 2014 alone, the surplus was USD 400 thousand. The withdrawal of the subsidy is unacceptable.

Discrimination: According to the regulations of the organisation, the age of retirement is 60. And internationally reputed Bangladeshi scientists have not been kept on after 60 years of age. However, in the case of foreigners, this rule is relaxed. The present executive director John D Clements is 66.

According to the ICDDR,B ordinance, the officers and employee are supposed to receive salary an benefits in accordance to the UN pay scale, but this is not followed in the case f the Bangladeshis.

Nutritionist SK Roy said, ICDDR,B is a research institute and needs more researchers and scientists than administrators. The scientists compete at an international level and bring in funding. A part of this is spent on the administration. The administration needs to consider whether there is need for a large number of inefficient persons or a smaller but efficient work force.