Attach properties of Rid Pharma officials
A Dhaka court yesterday ordered attachment of movable and immovable properties of five officials of Rid Pharmaceuticals Ltd, including its managing director, in a case filed against them for manufacturing toxic Paracetamol syrup that claimed at least 28 children's lives.
The children died of renal failures, caused by intake of Rid's Paracetamol syrup and suspension, across the country from June to August.
Judge Golam Mortuza Majumder of the Drug Court passed the order after Brahmanbaria police submitted reports on the arrest warrants issued earlier against them.
The court directed the Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Brahmanbaria Police Station to implement the order and submit report on it by October 14.
In the report, Sub-Inspector Kamruzzaman of the police station said they had earlier raided the houses of the accused to arrest them but they did not find them.
Earlier on August 11, the same court issued arrest warrants against the managing director of Rid Pharma, its two directors and two pharmacists after drug superintendent Shafiqul Islam filed the case with the court.
The court also asked OC of Brahmanbaria Police Station to submit report on arrest warrants issued against the accused by yesterday.
The accused in the case are Rid Pharma Managing Director Mizanur Rahman, directors Sheuli Rahman, also Mizanur's wife, Abdul Gani and Rid's pharmacists Mahbubul Islam and Enamul Haque. A case against them has been filed in Brahmanbaria as well.
Three other cases have been filed against Rid in Comilla, Narayanganj and Sylhet.
In his complaint, Shafiqul Islam said several children died at Shishu Hospital of Sher-e-Bangla Nagar in the city due to renal failure after intake of the paracetamol drugs of Rid Pharma.
He said the government realised the seriousness in the matter and published advertisements in national dailies asking all not to take any drug manufactured by the company.
On July 22, the Drug Administration sealed off Rid's factory in BSCIC area of Brahmanbaria district following the death of children after taking its drugs.
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 poisonous diethylene glycol in the paracetamol syrup of the company.
Rid Pharma used diethylene glycol, meant for tannery and rubber industries, instead of propylene glycol as diethylene glycol costs Tk 200 per litre while propylene glycol costs Tk 1,100.
Later, the government has banned two drugs of Rid Pharma--Ridaplex (vitamin B-complex syrup), Temset (paracetamol suspension) for their sub-standard quality and harmful effects on public health.
Manufacturing, marketing, preservation, use and sale of the two drugs have also been banned in the country.
Sources at Drug Administration said Rid Pharma received drug-manufacturing licence in 2006 and started marketing 12 drugs. Though the company only had permission for producing paracetamol suspensions, it started producing paracetamol syrups.
Earlier Director of the Drug Administration Brig Gen Ismail Hossain said a fresh case would be filed against Rid Pharma under the Special Powers Act.
Asked about the case yesterday, he said at a meeting with the law ministry they have decided not to file the fresh case as it might weaken the previous cases.
JS BODY MEETING
A parliamentary sub-committee investigating the issue of Rid Pharmaceutical's poisonous paracetamol syrup, which caused death of 28 children, yesterday asked the authorities concerned to find out the sources of the ingredients used in Rid's products.
Nazmul Hassan, chief of the investigation committee, said if the sources of the ingredients cannot be identified, unscrupulous businessmen will continue to use those and such unfortunate incidents will continue to take place, reports our staff correspondent.
"We have also asked the authorities concerned to collect samples of Rid Pharmaceutical's banned drugs and test them in laboratories to identify the ingredients so the government can take necessary steps to stop import of those materials," the ruling Awami League lawmaker said.
The parliamentary standing committee on health ministry formed the sub-committee on July 22 to investigate the death of 28 children from renal failure following intake of the Rid's paracetamol syrup Temset.
"We will be able to submit our report within one and a half months," said Nazmul, adding that an audit team comprised of a group of professors of Dhaka University pharmacy department is working with the team to investigate the overall situation of the pharmaceutical industry in the country.
During surprise visits the team has already found that a number of pharmaceutical companies are running without pharmacists. "There are even companies that we know as non-functioning but their drugs are being sold in the market. This is quite an alarming situation," Nazmul said.
The audit team is preparing a list of equipment, manpower and overall capacity different pharmaceutical companies have for producing certain drugs.
It would be helpful for taking actions against companies that are manufacturing fake or substandard drugs for lack of capacity, Nazmul said.
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