Toxic Paracetamol: SC upholds HC order barring 2 drug admin officials from continuing jobs

The Supreme Court today upheld a High Court order that issued an injunction restraining two officials of the drug administration from continuing jobs for their negligence in dealing with a case filed for manufacturing toxic paracetamol that killed 28 children in 2009.

The two officials are Assistant Director of the Directorate General of Drug Administration Shafiqul Islam and Deputy Director Altaf Hossain.

A four-member bench of the Appellate Division headed by Chief Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain allowed a petition filed by Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh (HRPB) seeking cancellation of an order of the Supreme Court chamber judge that stayed the High Court order.

Advocate Manzill Murshid appeared for HRPB.

The High Court on July 18 this year issued the injunction restraining Shafiqul and Altaf from continuing their jobs.

Then, the Supreme Court chamber judge stayed the High Court order following a petition filed by Shafiqul and Altaf Hossain.

Later on, Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh filed a petition with the Supreme court seeking cancellation of the chamber judge’s order.

From June to August in 2009, at least 28 children across the country died of renal failure allegedly caused by Rid Pharma's paracetamol syrups and suspensions.

Shafiqul Islam, the then superintendent of drug administration, filed the case with the Dhaka Drug Court the same year.

On November 28, 2016, the drug court acquitted all five of Rid Pharma's officials.

According to the court verdict, 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.

Shafiqul Islam and Altaf Hossain were drug superintendents in 2009.