HC summons health secy to explain inaction

The High Court yesterday summoned Health Secretary Sirajul Haque Khan to appear before it tomorrow to explain why action was not taken against two officials of the drug administration.

The health secretary was earlier ordered to inform the HC what action was taken against the two officials 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.

Yesterday, the HC bench of Justice Syed Muhammad Dastagir Husain and Justice Md Ataur Rahman Khan passed the summons during hearing a petition moved by Supreme Court lawyer Manzill Murshid on behalf of Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh.

Manzill told The Daily Star that the health secretary yesterday submitted a report to the HC through the attorney general's office, saying that the government has cautioned Shafiqul Islam and Altaf Hossain, although they had negligence in dealing with the case filed for manufacturing the toxic paracetamol syrup.

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.