Rid boss surrenders to court with HC shield
Rid Pharmaceuticals Limited Managing Director Mizanur Rahman yesterday surrendered before a Dhaka court and sought bail in a case filed for manufacturing toxic paracetamol syrup that claimed lives of at least 28 children across the country.
The children died of renal failures, caused by intake of Rid's paracetamol syrup and suspension, from June to August.
Judge ANM Bashir Ullah of the Metropolitan Sessions Judge's court fixed October 19 for hearing on the bail petition submitted by Mizanur in his presence.
In the petition, Mizanur's lawyers mentioned that their client earlier on August 18 had surrendered before the High Court (HC) and sought anticipatory bail in the case. But the HC, without granting bail to their client, directed him to surrender before the Metropolitan Sessions Judge's Court and to seek bail. The HC also said the Sessions Court shall consider the prayer for a regular bail.
In the meantime, the law enforcement agencies are directed not to arrest or harass Mizanur, the HC said.
On August 18, Mizanur and his wife Sheuli Rahman, also a director of the company, appeared before the HC and sought anticipatory bail in the case.
The HC on the same day granted bail to Sheuli and asked Mizanur to surrender before the Sessions Judge's Court in Dhaka.
One of the directors and two pharmacists accused in the case were yet to appear before any court seeking bail.
Earlier on September 16, the Drug Court ordered attachment of movable and immovable properties of Mizanur, his wife and three officials of the company in the case.
The same court on August 11 issued arrest warrants against the Rid Pharma managing director, its two directors and two pharmacists after Drug Superintendent Shafiqul Islam filed the case with the court.
On July 22, the Drug Administration sealed off Rid's factory in BSCIC area of Brahmanbaria following the children's deaths.
The government also formed a seven-member probe committee to investigate the incident. 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 banned two drugs of Rid Pharma -- Ridaplex (vitamin B-complex syrup), Temset (paracetamol suspension) for their low-standard 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.
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