Police inaction irks court

A Dhaka court yesterday asked the officer-in-charge of Brahmanbaria Sadar police station to appear before it in person by January 5 next year to explain his failure to submit reports on execution of property attachment of three defendants in a case against Rid Pharmaceutical.

On October 14 this year, the court ordered the attachment of movable and immovable properties of five Rid officials -- Managing Director Mizanur Rahman, directors Sheuli Rahman and Abdul Gani, and pharmacists Mahbubul Islam and Enamul Haque -- in the case filed against them for manufacturing toxic paracetamol syrup that claimed the lives of at least 28 children.

Sheuli is out on bail now while Mizanur is in jail. But as the other three defendants have not surrendered to the court yet, the order of their property attachment was supposed to be executed by Brahmanbaria police.

Judge Golam Mortuza Majumder of the Dhaka Drug Court yesterday again ordered the attachment of properties of the absconding Rid director and two pharmacists. The court issued the order, as they did not appear before it yesterday.

The same court also rejected a bail petition of Mizanur Rahman, filed by his lawyer.

On October 12, Mizanur surrendered to Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judge's Court following a High Court (HC) directive, and sought bail.

Judge ANM Bashir Ullah scheduled October 19 for hearing the bail petition, and after the hearing he rejected the petition and sent Mizanur to jail.

On August 18, Mizanur's wife Sheuli Rahman, also a director of the company, appeared before the HC, seeking anticipatory bail and secured it for six months.

At least 28 children died of renal failures, following intake of Rid's paracetamol syrup and suspension, across the country from June to August this year.

On August 11, the Dhaka Drug Court issued arrest warrants against the five after Directorate of Drug Administration Superintendent Shafiqul Islam filed the case with the court. A case against them was filed in Brahmanbaria as well, while three other cases were filed against the Rid management in Comilla, Narayanganj, and Sylhet.

In his complaint, Shafiqul Islam said several children died at Shishu Hospital of Sher-e-Bangla Nagar in the capital due to renal failures after intake of paracetamol produced by Rid.

He said the government realised the seriousness of the matter and published advertisements in national dailies asking all not to take any drug manufactured by the company.

On July 22, the Directorate of Drug Administration sealed off Rid's factory in Bangladesh Small & Cottage Industries Corporation (BSCIC) area of Brahmanbaria.

The government also formed a seven-member probe committee to investigate the matter.

On July 29, the probe committee placed its report that found the presence of fatally toxic diethylene glycol in the paracetamol syrup produced by Rid.

Rid Pharmaceutical used diethylene glycol, meant for the tannery and rubber industries, instead of the appropriate chemical propylene glycol, as the toxin cost much less than the appropriate chemical.

Later, the government banned three drugs of Rid Pharmaceutical under two brand names -- Ridaplex vitamin B-complex syrup, and Temset paracetamol suspension and syrup, for their substandard qualities and harmful effects on the public health.

Manufacturing, marketing, preservation, use, and sale of the three drugs are also banned.

Sources at the drug administration said Rid received drug manufacturing license in 2006 and started marketing 12 drugs. Although the company only had permission for producing paracetamol suspension, it started producing paracetamol syrup as well.