Staff Reporter :
The High Court on Wednesday issued a contempt of court ruling against five persons including Health Secretary Lokman Hossain Mia for not complying with its verdict that asked to monitor so that Indo-Bangla Pharmaceuticals of Barishal and 13 other companies cannot produce antibiotics without following Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP).
The four others are Dr Abul Bashar Mohammad Khurshid, Director General (DG) of Directorate General of Health Service (DGHS), Bablu Kumar Shaha, 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.
The court wanted to know from the respondents in four weeks as to why a contempt of court proceeding should not be initiated against them for not complying with the verdict delivered on 13 February 2017.
The HC bench of Justice Mamnoon Rahman and Justice Khandaker Diliruzzaman passed the order virtually after holding hearing on a contempt of court petition filed by Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh (HRPB), a rights organization.
Advocate Manzill Murshid who appeared for the contempt petitions said, “Antibiotics are life-saving medicine. But Indo-Bangla Pharmaceuticals is harming many people by producing antibiotics and selling those in the market violating the court order. Sadly neither the Drug Administration nor others are taking any action.”
Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh (HRPB) filed a writ petition with the High Court in 2016 seeking its directive upon the respondents to stop production and selling of antibiotics of the pharmaceuticals those don’t follow the GMP.
Upon hearing the petition the High Court on February 13 in 2017 directed the government to stop the production of 20 pharmaceutical companies for producing sub standard drugs.
It also directed the government to take necessary step so that 14 other pharmaceutical companies including Indo-Banla cannot produce antibiotics, as those were also below par.
The HC also asked the director general of the Directorate General of Drug Administration to monitor the activities of drug companies, see that the orders are implemented, and report to the court every three months.
But media reports recently that Indo-Bangla is producing antibiotics again defying the court verdict. Then the HRPB filed a contempt of court petition with the High Court.
