Mobile courts yesterday fined at least 19 stores, including pharmacies, in Dhaka city, Savar, Narayanganj and Manikganj for selling products such as surgical masks, hand sanitiser and different medicines at higher prices than usual.

Mobile courts under Dhaka north and south city corporations conducted drives in different parts of the city and fined 16 shops, including pharmacies, Tk 1.71 lakh for selling surgical masks and hand sanitisers at high mark-up.

Two executive magistrates of Dhaka South City Corporation inspected 1,000 shops in Mitford road, Nayabazar, Babubazar, Chawkbazar and New Market, and fined owners of 13 establishments Tk 1,46,500 for selling surgical masks at hiked prices.

Another court of Dhaka North City Corporation conducted drives in Gulshan, Banani and Mohakhali areas and fined three pharmacies Tk 25,000 for the same offence, Executive Magistrate Selina Parvin, who led the drives, told The Daily Star.

Meanwhile in Savar, a mobile court fined a branch of Lazz Pharma Ltd Tk one lakh for selling masks at higher prices, reports our correspondent.

"The pharmacy was selling masks at Tk 40, instead of the set price of Tk 5. We also found some foreign products in the pharmacy but they could not show any import documents," said Executive Magistrate Abdullah Al Mahfuz, who led the drive.

The mobile court also detained two employees of the pharmacy. They were released after the fine was paid.

The drive was conducted at Thana Road area, upon a tip-off that some shops were selling masks at high prices and without receipts.

In Narayanganj, a mobile court sentenced Bishwajit Das, an employee of Nurul Medical Corner, to one-year jail for selling surgical masks at Tk 50 per piece instead of Tk 5, said Executive Magistrate Mehedi Hasan Faruk.

Three executive magistrates of Narayanganj district, along with the Directorate General of Drug Administration (DGDA), jointly conducted drives in different pharmacies at Kali Bazar area of the town, reports our Narayanganj correspondent.

The court also fined eight other pharmacies Tk 1.5 lakh in the same area for storing medicine illegally.

Directorate of National Consumer Rights Protection conducted a drive in Manikganj town and fined a clothing shop Tk 5,000 for the same reason.

Assistant Director of DNCRP Asaduzzaman Rumel fined Sujon General Store in the district for selling expired medicine and cosmetics.