Sale of contraband drugs rampant

Sale of contraband and fake drugs continued unabated in the port city causing suffering to the patients as well as the loss of revenue to the government.
The incident came to the light when members of the Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) raided a shop in the city's wholesale drug market at Hazari Lane last week.
A section of traders have been importing and selling the foreign drugs illegally for long to meet the demand of those drugs that are badly needed in different complicated diseases like heart disease, diabetes, cancer and maternal complications.
Traders said several contraband drugs for different diseases have great demand in the market as many doctors prescribe them.
The contraband drugs like Glucophage for diabetes from France, Banocide from India, Alzolam, Vertine 8 of heart disease, Gestin for maternal complications and Primolut N to control bleeding from Pakistan, Neorobeon Forte from India, Otoflour for allergy from India are available in the country's markets.
"We have to keep these medicines for the sake of business. Otherwise, we have to loose customers," said a pharmacy owner preferring anonymity.
"Those who market these medicines and those who prescribe go unchallenged when sellers like us are to face harassment," he said, adding that marketing and prescribing of such medicines should be stopped first.
Kanchan, a pharmacy owner, alleged that many medicines shown as foreign products are produced locally by some vested quarters while doctors prescribe these medicines.
Meanwhile, the Crime Prevention Company (CPC)-3 of Rab-7 during a drive on November 4 night seized huge quantity of contraband drugs worth around Tk 20 lakh from Popular Medical Hall and arrested three people, including son of the shop owner and two staffs.
The raid, however, infuriated the traders who denied the allegation of selling contraband drugs. They enforced a two-day strike to protest what they said 'harassment' to them by the law enforcement agency in the name of raid against contraband drugs.
The traders of wholesale drug market also enforced a daylong strike on November 5 protesting the seizure of drugs and arrest of three from Popular Medical Hall. They also enforced another strike on November 7 protesting the arrest.
They alleged that the Rab men seized some legal drugs during such raids alongside contraband items.
Tapan Kanti Biswas, proprietor of Popular Medical Hall, alleged that the law enforcers during the raid also seized legal drugs worth Tk 6 lakh, including costly insulin. He said they have legal documents of those drugs.
Bangladesh Chemist and Druggist Association Chittagong chapter President Samir Kanti said they welcome such drives but not the harassment to traders in the name of raid. Samir said they want that the law enforcers to make a seizure list during the drive in front of all that they denied.
Denying the allegation of seizure of legal drugs, Additional Director of Rab-7 ASP Mohammad Sajjad Hossen said the drive is conducted by the Drug Administration Department while Rab only assist them.
When contacted Superintendent of Drug Administration Department Akhter Hossain said they seize only the contraband items not the legal ones.