Courier services are used in bringing unregistered imported medicines in the country, depriving the government of a large amount of revenue a year, officials of drug administration revealed Sunday after seizing big consignments of such drugs.
Officials at the DGDA (Director General of Drug Administration) said they have conducted a drive following secret information at SK Enterprise, located within a kilometre of the DGDA headquarters, in Purana Paltan on Thursday last and recovered a large volume of unregistered imported medicines worth Tk 7.5 million.
The state-owned drug regulatory authority organised a press briefing on the day at its head office where Director General of the drug administration Maj Gen Dr Md Jahangir Hossain Mollik said the imported medicines were brought illegally from Argentina, Spain, USA and India through courier.
He said the seized imported items were anti-cancer drugs and food supplements and these were Capsule Amicap, Colistin Injection of Spain, Tablet Varigestrol, hydroxyurea Capsules, Bugam of Argentina, Saline Relieve Enema, Glutasure Powder of USA and Hepa-pro powder of India.
Responding to the reporters, the DG said that they could arrest none as they had no authority to arrest anyone and that the offences under the existing drug law were 'non-cognizable.'
"But we will take legal action against the trading house very soon under the Drugs (Control) Ordinance, 1982 for importing the medicines illegally," he said.
About recovery of food supplement, he said although the DGDA did not provide licence to the pharmacies to sell food supplements, they have been selling those illegally.
"I've requested Bangladesh Medical Association (BMA), BMDC and relevant authorities to stop doctors from prescribing food supplements. But none is paying heed to this. Even big hospitals here sell those to their patients," he said.
Seeking anonymity, a senior official at the administration who was present during the raid said they have found sticker of a global courier upon the containers of the consignments.
"That indicates that courier services are being used for importing unauthorised drugs. A section of unscrupulous traders are committing the offences dodging a large volume of government revenue," he said.
About punishment against such offences, he said punishment for illegal drug import can be a maximum 10 years in prison or Tk 200,000 fine or both although it takes many years to settle a case in the drug court.
Bangladesh's promising drug industry meets almost 97 per cent of national demand with more than 1,200 generic and 27,000 brand registered items produced in the country.
Besides, more than 5,000 different types of brands are being imported officially -- only 3 per cent of the local need. The drug administration has also filed 41 cases this year so far after seizing such drugs.
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Courier services used in bringing unregistered imported medicines
FE Report | Published: December 22, 2014 00:00:00 | Updated: November 30, 2026 06:01:00
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