The medical waste of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) is unlawfully sold by the cleaners to the vendors. The medical waste includes pathological material, sharp objects and chemicals. Experts believe that the practice could spread infectious diseases like hepatitis B and C, tetanus, tuberculosis, skin diseases, jaundice, cholera and even AIDS.

The waste also includes syringes separated out and washed for reselling. These syringes again come into the market with new packing and without proper sterilization.

Director of BSMMU, Brig Gen Abdul Majid Bhuiyan said that most waste of the hospital is dumped in dustbins of Dhaka City Corporation. The rest are burned down in an incinerator.

A cleaner of the waste, Farida said that she has been selling the waste for more than 6 years. A buyer of these items, Abdur Rahim said that he sells the items to factories in Old Dhaka.

There are around 1,500 hospitals, clinics and diagnostic centers in the capital of the country but only 342 have scientific waste management facilities. The standard way of safe disposal of medical waste is to maintain separate bins for different types of waste which is not followed by the hospitals.

The evaluation programs of environment department were weak and fail to stop the unethical practice.