HC orders govt to take measures for curbing medicine price hike, issues rule against inaction

The High Court today (29 April) ordered the health secretary and the director general of the Directorate of Drug Administration to take effective measures against the ongoing price hike of all types of medicines in the country within 30 days.

The court also issued a rule seeking to know why the inaction of the authorities to prevent the continuous increase in the price of medicines will not be declared illegal.

The High Court bench of Justice Mustafa Zaman Islam and Justice M Atabullah passed the order on the day.

The bench also asked authorities concerned to stop the sale of unauthorised imported drugs.

The HC bench gave the order after the hearing of a writ petition filed by the Consumer Association of Bangladesh (CAB) seeking the court's direction on the legality of the non-prevention of arbitrary and illegal drug pricing practices by pharmaceutical companies.

The CAB filed the writ attaching a report published in a daily newspaper headlined "Drug prices increased by 7% to 140% in two weeks".

According to the report, in two months, various companies in the country have rampantly increased the prices of their manufactured drugs. Antibiotic tablets, insulin and injections for diabetic patients have been increased the most.

A report of the production cost increases and sales revenue accounts of various companies showed that the inflation was abnormal.

As the excuse for this unusual price increase, the companies blame the devaluation of taka against USD, and the increase in the price of raw materials in the international market.

Alamgir Kabir, member secretary of the national committee for consumer complaints handling, filed the petition on Sunday. Barrister Jyotirmoy Barua represented the petitioner in the court.