Warrant of arrest for Rid Pharma MD, 4 others

Aftermath of Toxic paracetamol induced deaths 
A Dhaka court yesterday issued warrants of arrest for managing director of Rid Pharma Limited, its two directors and two pharmacists in connection with a case filed against them for producing and marketing toxic paracetamol syrup, which caused many death.
Judge Golam Mortuza Mojumder of Drug Court issued the warrants of arrest hours after filing of the case with the court by Drug Superintendent Shafiqul Islam. The arrest warrants have already been sent to the police stations concerned, court sources said.
The accused in the case against whom, arrest warrants have been issued are: Rid Pharma MD Mizanur Rahman, directors Begum Sheuli Rahman, also wife of Mizanur, Abdul Gani and two pharmacists Mahbubul Islam and Enamul Haque.
A total of 26 children died across the country due to renal failures taking the paracetamol syrup of Rid Pharmaceutical Company allegedly mixed with poisonous chemicals meant for tannery and rubber industries.
The drug administration of the government collected some samples from the Rid Pharma Limited and from the market. The government had tested its collected samples in the Drug Testing Laboratory, Mohakhali.
It was mentioned in the testing report that the Rid Pharmaceutical medicine was adulterated with poison and for this the children died after they had taken it.
Drug Superintendent Shafiqul Islam filed the case with the court against Rid Pharma Limited factory in Brahmanbaria BSCIC area.
The case was filed under section 16(c)/17/21(3) of the Drug Control Act-1984 and 1985.
As the paracetamol syrup containing poisonous Diethylene Glycol was provided to the children across the country, some 34 children with acute renal failure were admitted to Dhaka Shishu Hospital and Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) Hospital over the last one and a half months. Of them 26 children died due to renal failure.
Earlier, the government formed a seven-member probe committee headed by Joint Secretary (hospital) Abdul Jalil for investigating into the death of 26 children in the last one and a half months.
The committee submitted its report to Health Minister AFM Ruhal Haque on July 29 saying that the children’s deaths were for intake of the adulterated medicine made by the Rid Pharmaceutical.

Courtesy of The Independent