Contempt of Court Ruling Issued against 5 Including DGHS DG

Five people, including Health Secretary Lokman Hossain Mia and Director General (DG) of Directorate General of Health Service (DGHS) Dr Abul Basar Mohammad Khurshid, have been found in contempt of court by the High Court.

According to the order, they must explain to the court within four weeks why they will not face contempt of court charges for disregarding the verdict issued on February 13, 2017.

After hearing a contempt of court petition filed on behalf of Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh, the HC bench led by Justice Mamnoon Rahman and Justice Khandaker Diliruzzaman issued the order virtually today (HRPB).

The three others are-Bablu Kumar Shah, Director General (DG), Department of Consumer Protection, Major General Mahbubur Rahman, Director General (DG), Drug Administration and Anwarul Haque, managing director of Indo-Bangla Pharmaceuticals (AFM).

Advocate Manzil Morshed, who stood for the petition at the court, confirmed the matter, reports the media.

The lawyer said antibiotics are a life-saving medicine. That is why the court delivered such a verdict. But Indo Bangla Pharmaceuticals is harming many people by disobeying the court order and selling in the market. But neither the Drug Administration nor others are taking any action. Evidence from the company's sales documents also shows that they have produced antibiotics. They have shown disrespect to the court and contempt of court which is a punishable offense.

After hearing of a case filed by HRPB in the form of public litigation, the court directed to stop the production of antibiotics by 20 medicine companies including Indo-Bangla Pharmaceuticals in Barisal without following the GMP.

But the media reported that Indo Bangla Pharmaceuticals in Barisal was illegally producing and selling antibiotics in defiance of the court order.

A contempt of court case was filed in the High Court on behalf of Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh (HRPB).

On 13 February, 2017, The High Court upheld its previous order directing the government to halt complete production of 20 pharmaceutical companies and production of antibiotics from 14 other drug companies.

The 20 companies are Avert Pharma, Bikalpa Pharmaceutical, Dolphin Pharmaceuticals, Drugland, Exim Pharmaceutical, Globe Laboratories, Jalpa Laboratories and Kafina Pharmaceuticals, Medico Pharmaceutical, National Drug, North Bengal Pharmaceutical, Rimo Chemical, Rid Pharmaceutical, Skylab Pharmaceutical, Spark Pharmaceutical, Star Pharmaceutical, Sunipun Pharmaceutical, Today Pharmaceutical, Tropical Pharmaceutical and Universal Pharmaceutical.

The 14 companies asked to stop antibiotics production are Ad-din Pharmaceuticals, Alkad Pharmaceuticals, Belsen Pharmaceuticals, Bengal Drugs and Chemicals, Bristol Pharma, Crystal Pharmaceuticals, Indo-Bangla Pharmaceuticals, Millat Pharmaceuticals, MST Pharma and Healthcare, Orbit Pharmaceuticals, Pharmic Laboratories, Phoenix Chemical Laboratory, Rasa Pharmaceuticals and Save Pharmaceuticals.

The High Court on 8 August, 2016, ordered the government to stop production at these companies as their products were substandard.

On 5 June, 2016, HRPB filed a writ petition stating that a committee of medicine experts had advised a parliamentary watchdog in January the same year to cancel the licenses of 20 companies, stop production of 14 other companies who manufacture antibiotics (penicillin, non-penicillin and cephalosporin groups) and suspend 22 companies who produce penicillin and cephalosporin based drugs, but no steps had been taken.