The government yesterday ordered a halt to the production at 20 drug companies for failing to comply with good manufacturing practices (GMP) set by the World Health Organisation, drug administration officials said.

Of them, licences of 11 companies were revoked, and the production at nine others was stopped.

“Licences of these nine companies were earlier suspended, but they are being operated with stay orders from the court. As the case is pending with the court, the drug administration could not cancel their licences, but stopped their production,” said an official of the drug administration.

“We have issued letters to the field level offices to ensure that the 20 companies stop their operations,” said Maj Gen Mustafizur Rahman, director general of the Directorate General of Drug Administration (DGDA).

The DGDA also halted the production of all kinds of antibiotics (non-penicillin, penicillin and cephalosporin group) of 14 other drug companies.

“We are now preparing a report on our measures for submitting it to the High Court,” Mustafizur Rahman told The Daily Star over the phone.

However, the DGDA has not ordered the withdrawal of the drugs or antibiotics of the 14 companies.

“There was no order from the High Court to withdraw the drugs,” the DG said.

However, the DGDA would take legal actions against the companies if any drugs produced after June 7 were marketed, Mustafizur added.

The actions were taken following an HC order on June 7 to halt the production of drugs at the 20 companies and all kinds of antibiotics of the 14 other companies as the drugs and antibiotics they produced were substandard.

The court order came following a writ petition filed by the Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh, a rights body, on June 5.

In April, an expert committee, formed in 2014 by the parliamentary standing committee on the health ministry, in its report recommended scrapping licences of the 20 drug companies and stopping production of antibiotics of the 14 other companies.

The report prepared in two years said the drugs manufactured without following the GMP might inflict damage on health, which could even be fatal and so such drugs should be avoided for the sake of public health.

11 companies whose licences were revoked

Today Pharma Ltd, National Drug Company Ltd, Sunipun Pharmaceuticals & Chemicals Ltd, Universal Pharmaceutical Ltd, North Bengal Pharmaceutical Ltd, Drug Land Ltd, Dolphin Pharmaceutical Ltd, Jalpha Laboratories Ltd, Rid Pharmaceuticals Ltd, Remo Chemical Ltd (Pharma Division) and Kafma Pharmaceutical Ltd.

9 companies whose production was stopped 

Globe Laboratories (pvt) Ltd, Medico Pharmaceutical Ltd, Aexim Pharmaceutical Ltd, Avert Pharma Ltd, Bikolpo Pharmaceutical Ltd, Spark Pharmaceutical Ltd, Star Pharmaceutical Ltd, Tropical Pharmaceutical Ltd and Skylab Pharmaceutical Ltd.

14 companies whose production of all kinds of antibiotics was halted

Ad Din Pharmaceuticals Ltd, Alkad Pharmaceuticals Ltd, Belsen Pharmaceuticals Ltd, Bengal Drugs & Chemicals Works, Bristol Pharma Ltd, Crystal Pharmaceuticals Ltd, Indo Bangla Pharmaceuticals Ltd, Millat Pharmaceuticals Ltd, MST Pharma & Healthcare Ltd, Orbit Pharmaceuticals Ltd, Pharmik Laboratories Ltd, Phoenix Chemical Laboratories Ltd, Rasa Pharmaceutical Ltd and Save Pharmaceuticals Ltd.