The High Court (HC) yesterday exempted health secretary Sirajul Haque Khan from appearing in court in person in a case related to the death of 28 children who had taken contaminated liquid paracetamol. The pardon came after Khan filed an affidavit offering unconditional apology for not taking quick action against two drug administration officers for their negligence in dealing with the case filed over the deaths.

In his petition, the secretary told the High Court bench that he had suspended the deputy director of the Directorate General of Drug Administration (DGDA), Altaf Hossain, and assistant director Shafiqul Islam for their negligence in the case. Departmental action against them is currently under process, the secretary said in the petition.

After accepting his petition, the HC bench, comprising Justice Syed Mohammad Dastagir Hossain and Justice Ataur Rahman Khan, exempted him from appearing in court and asked him not to neglect his duty of serving public interest.

On August 21, the same HC bench had summoned the health secretary to explain why he had not taken action against the two drug officials. The HC bench came up with the order following a petition filed by the Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh.  

In June 2009, at least 28 children died after taking the paracetamol syrup manufactured by Rid Pharma. The medicine was contaminated with a toxic chemical. In this connection, the then drug superintendent Shafiqul Islam filed a case in the drug court on August 10, 2009, against the owner of the company Mizanur Rahman, his wife and company director Sheuli Rahman, another director Abdul Gani, and pharmacists Mahbubul Islam and Enamul Haque.

The five accused were acquitted last November. Dhaka drugs court judge Ataur Rahman said while delivering the verdict that the accused were released due to the prosecution’s “incompetence and inefficiency” and the negligence of the two responsible officers of DGDA.