Toxic Paracetamol: HC enquires about negligent drug officials

The High Court yesterday ordered the government to inform it within 72 hours what action has been taken against two officials of the drug administration for their negligence in dealing with the case filed for manufacturing toxic paracetamol syrup that killed at least 28 children in 2009.

The officials are Assistant Director of the Directorate General of Drug Administration Shafiqul Islam and its Deputy Director Altaf Hossain.

Health secretary and director general of the Directorate General of Health Services have been asked to report to the HC about the steps taken against the two.

The HC bench of Justice Syed Muhammad Dastagir Husain and Justice Md Ataur Rahman Khan passed the order after Supreme Court lawyer Manzill Murshid moved a petition on behalf of Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh.

Murshid said the health secretary recently submitted a probe report to the HC as per its earlier order, saying Shafiqul and Altaf were negligent, incompetent and inefficient in filing and dealing with the case.

From June to August in 2009, at least 28 children across the country died of renal failures allegedly caused by Rid Pharma's paracetamol syrups and suspensions.

In August that year, Shafiqul Islam, the then superintendent of drug administration, filed the case with the Dhaka Drug Court.

On November 28 last year, the drug court acquitted Rid Pharma's all five officials.

Two officials of the drug administration involved in the case knowingly violated due procedure of law, and exhibited sheer negligence, inefficiency and incompetence in dealing with the case, the verdict said.

Shafiqul Islam and Altaf Hossain were drug superintendents in 2009.