Health and Family Welfare Minister Mohammed Nasim categorically said that the government would not compromise on the question of quality medicine.
“Question does not arise on quality compromise of drugs as it deals with health issues. Bangladesh’s pharmaceutical industry has a strong position in global pharmaceutical market after meeting the local demand…We have to expand the international market by supplying quality drugs at cheaper rate,” Nasim said.
The minister came up with the remarks on Monday while addressing a meeting at the office of Directorate of Drug Administration in city’s Mohakhali area.
Prime Minister’s Private Sector Development Affairs Advisor Salman F Rahman, Secretary General of Bangladesh Oushad Shilpa Samity Nazmul Hasan Papan, Abdul Muktadir and concerned officials were present with Director General, Directorate of General Drug Administration Major General Mustafizur Rahman in the chair.
Directorate of Drug Administration organised the meeting on declaring the pharmaceutical products, including their raw materials, as the Products of the Year-2018 by the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Jan 1, 2018.
Nasim said the government would meet the manpower demand of the directorate and promotions so that the directorate could contribute more to pharmaceutical sector.
“The government is working to construct Active Pharmaceuticals Ingredients Park on a 200-acre area at Gazaria, Munshiganj district, with a capacity to accommodate industrial units on 42 plots to develop the industry,” he added.
PM’s Private Sector Development Affairs Advisor Salman F Rahman said, “Once the API Industrial Park starts operating, the country’s medicine exports will increase as Bangladesh has been exporting medicines to some 80 countries including the USA now.”
Terming the country as one of the cheapest sources of quality drugs, Papan said “Bangladesh will export medicines to 106 more countries soon.”
Organizers said Bangladesh’s pharmaceutical industry is now on the road to attaining self-sufficiency meeting local demand. The industry is a big contributor to the national exchequer, they added.
Foreign exchange earnings from drug exports crossed Tk 700 crore in the 2016-17 fiscal, they mentioned.
