The Supreme Court today upheld a High Court order that directed the government to halt production of 20 pharmaceutical companies for manufacturing substandard drugs.

The apex court also asked the HC to hear and dispose of the rule over legality of the government's inaction to stop production of the 20 companies by August 18.

A four-member bench of the Appellate Division of the SC headed by Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha passed the order after disposing of four separate petitions.

Four of the 20 drug companies recently filed the petitions challenging the previous order. The High Court had passed the order following a writ petition on June 7.

After today's order, the 20 companies cannot manufacture medicines while 14 other companies cannot produce any antibiotics, Manzill Murshid, lawyer for the writ petitioner, told The Daily Star.

Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh filed the writ petition after an expert committee, formed by the parliamentary standing committee on the health ministry in August 2014, recommended revoking the licences of 20 drug companies that repeatedly failed to follow the good manufacturing practices (GMP).

The 20 drug companies that have to stop production are:

Aexim Pharmaceuticals Ltd, Avert Pharma Ltd, Bikolpo Pharmaceuticals Ltd, Dolphin Pharmaceuticals Ltd, Drugland Ltd, Globe Laboratories (pvt) Ltd, Jalpha Laboratories Ltd, Kafma Pharmaceuticals Ltd, Medico Pharmaceuticals Ltd, National Drug Pharma Ltd, North Bengal Pharmaceuticals Ltd, Remo Chemicals Ltd (Pharma Division), Rid Pharmaceuticals Ltd, Skylab Pharmaceuticals Ltd, Spark Pharmaceuticals Ltd, Star Pharmaceuticals Ltd, Sunipun Pharmaceuticals Ltd, Today Pharmaceuticals Ltd, Tropical Pharmaceuticals Ltd and Universal Pharmaceuticals Ltd.

The 14 companies which must stop manufacture of antibiotics are:

Ad Din Pharmaceuticals Ltd, Alkad Pharmaceuticals Ltd, Belsen Pharmaceuticals Ltd, Bengal Drugs Pharmaceuticals Ltd, Bistol Pharmaceuticals Ltd, Crystal Pharmaceuticals Ltd, Indo Bangla Pharmaceuticals Ltd, Millat Pharmaceuticals Ltd, MST Pharmaceuticals Ltd, Orbit Pharmaceuticals Ltd, Pharmatik Pharmaceuticals Ltd, Phoenix Pharmaceuticals Ltd, Rasa Pharmaceuticals Ltd and Save Pharmaceuticals Ltd.