HC orders to form independent body to prevent contaminated medicines

In the full text of the verdict, the High Court directed the relevant government bodies to establish an independent national committee for the prevention of adulterated medicines.
The High Court bench, consisting of Justice Md Ashraful Kamal and Justice Razik Al Jalil, issued the verdict after hearing a writ petition filed by the rights organization "Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh (HRPB)".
In the verdict, the High Court noted that receiving free medical facilities is a fundamental right of every citizen, as prescribed in the Constitution of the country, and is also part of their right to life.
The full verdict was delivered by the High Court bench on June 2nd, 2022, and the full text was released on Wednesday.
Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh filed the writ petition in 2010 after different published news over the death of 104 children after taking toxic paracetamol syrup.
Lawyer Manzill Murshid who appeared in the court hearing on behalf of the HRPB said 76 children died in 1991 and 28 children in 2009 after consuming toxic paracetamol syrup.
The High Court ordered the Directorate General of Drug Administration (DGDA) to pay Tk 1.5 million each to the families of 104 children who died after taking toxic paracetamol syrup in 1991 and 2009.
It also asked the DGDA to pay the victims' families first and then collect the money from the companies or individuals responsible for producing the toxic syrup.
The court also observed the directorate cannot avoid responsibilities of incidents that killed 104 children.
The authorities concerned must take appropriate action under Section 25(c) of the Special Powers Act, 1974, against those responsible, observed the court. The HC also declared the inaction of the drug administration to control toxic medicine illegal.