Corruption rife in Drug Administration: TIB

FE Report | Published: January 16, 2015 00:00:00 | Updated: November 30, 2026 06:01:00

Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) in its latest report has found corruption in every level of service delivery at the Directorate of Drug Administration including illegal transaction of money for issuing licences.
The amount of money ranges from Tk 500 to Tk 1.5 million for issuance of new licences for pharmaceutical companies (allopathic), project handover, recipe approval, drugs registration, approval of foil, insert, label and pack, block list and literature approval, price fixing, export registration and Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) licence, sample testing and quality control, drug licence and renewal of licences.
The report on 'Governance of the Directorate of Drug Administration: Challenges & Way forward' said corruption was somewhat institutionalised at almost every point of service delivery through 'collusive corrupt practices' and especially small pharmaceutical companies resorted to such practices more than the rest.
"Influence of the representatives of large pharmaceutical companies strengthens the collusive nature of corruption through their inclusion in different committees," it added.
The anti-graft watchdog presented the findings at a press conference held at its office in the city on Thursday. TIB Executive Director Iftekharuzzaman and Chairperson Adv Sultana Kamal were, among others, present at the press conference.
The report said the institutional capacity of the DA is not adequate considering the scope, geographic coverage and expansion of the drug market. There are institutional limitations in terms of human resources, infrastructure, logistics and skills for operating its activities properly. The present legal structure is not sufficiently strong for monitoring and controlling the drug market and for facing contemporary challenges.
The report said: "There is also lack of proper implementation of the law. There is lack of transparency and accountability in terms of operating the mandate of the DA."
The study found that because of manpower shortage, two-thirds of the markets were left unattended from regulation and similarly for shortage of manpower in drug laboratories, a considerable portion (around 70 per cent yearly) of drugs cannot be tested.
Mr Iftekharuzzaman said a section of DA officials along with regulatory agencies, politicians and clients were mostly engaged in corruption.
It is true that the parliamentary standing committee on the health ministry has taken various positive steps to monitor anomalies in the health sector, he said. But it is also true that the institution has been facing financial and manpower shortages, he added "So, corruption is rife there."
There are allegations of irregularities and corruption in some pharmaceutical companies for lack of inspection and monitoring, said Mr Iftekharuzzaman.
"It is a matter of pride that some pharmaceutical companies export drugs from Bangladesh. Some companies use raw materials of higher standard for export, and lower standard for the local market, putting the life of people in the country at risk," he said.
Even they don't maintain proper procedures of separating toxic ingredients from drugs during production. These ingredients are very harmful to human body and cause different types of diseases, he added.
Besides, a number of members from some pharmaceutical companies have strong influence on approval to the block list and determination of the drug prices.
"According to the law, there is an obligation of mentioning the place of production on drugs foil and pack, but a number of local and foreign drug manufacturing companies often violate it," he said.
Sultana Kamal said treatment is the basic right of a human being. "Although our life expectancy has increased, the areas of dependence on medicines have also increased. But we have to consume contaminated drugs in the same manner. We buy adulterated foods from the market every day," she said.
The TIB chairperson said responsibility is a precondition of good governance which is absent in the DA. Pharmaceutical companies don't bother about ethics and rules to gain more profits, she added.
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