Seized medicines misappropriated

A huge quantity of medicines seized from Thanapara in the town on January 16, on the charge that those were fake and adulterated, have allegedly been misappropriated.

Medicine trader Ratan Chandra Roy of the town said he has been doing medicine business for one year. “I purchase medicines from Desh Pharmaceuticals Ltd in Dhaka and supply those to local pharmacies in different areas of the district,” he said, claiming that the Superintendent of Drugs of the Drug Administration in the district seized medicines worth about Tk 1,40,000 when he (Ratan) refused to give him Tk 30,000 as bribe.

Ratan said Superintendent of Drugs Mehedy Afzal and three other people raided his residence on January 16 and seized the medicines, saying those were fake and adulterated. “I refused to pay the demanded bribe, so I have not got back the medicines till now,” he said, adding that the seized medicines were not fake or adulterated.   

“As I thought the medicines were fake and adulterated, I seized those in presence of local people and journalists,” Mehedy said. He rejected the allegation about demanding bribe from Ratan.

“I did not take any legal step against Ratan as I was stopped by my superior authority in Dhaka,” he said. “On the order from my superior authority I handed over the seized medicines to the company's representative a week after seizing those,” he said.

When Mehedy was asked who was the company's representative he kept silent. He said he did not hand over the seized medicines to Ratan as Ratan did not contact him. Mehedy also did not disclose the identity of his superior authority.

“I tried several times to contact Mehedy, but failed. If I do not get back my medicines by the end of February I will go to the court, seeking justice,” Ratan said.