A team of Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) seized a total of 7,64,100 pieces of banned drugs from a pharmaceutical factory in the city yesterday. RAB-8 sources said that they were informed that Barisal Indo-Bangla Pharma had been continuing production and marketing of some types of drugs that were banned by the Drugs Authority on July 1, 2015. Later after verifying the information through engaging sources, RAB-8 conducted a raid at the factory of Indo-Bangla Pharma at Nathullabad in the city on Thursday night.
During the raid, the elite force found a total of 7,64,100 pieces of banned drugs namely Indofenac 50mg tablet under Dyclofenac group. Showing the order of the Drugs Authority, Assistant Superintendent of Police of RAB-8 Md Nizam Uddin in a briefing claimed that production and marketing of the drugs were already officially banned on July 1 this year. They handed over the sized banned drugs to the Barisal drugs authority for taking necessary legal steps in this regard. Receiving the banned drugs, Bithi Rani Haoladar, inspector of Barisal drugs authority, said that they had not received any letter from the higher authorities till filing of the report over the banned or suspended the production and marketing of these drugs. She said that they received the letter from the RAB-8 and started work under legal frame for taking actions. If the production and marketing of these drugs are suspended or banned, the company will be punished, she added. Ignoring the facts, Md. Anwarul Haque Sabbir, managing director of Barisal Indo-Bangla Pharma, said that the central drugs authority did not inform them that production and marketing of Indofenac 50mg tablet had been banned or suspended.
“We didn’t know anything about the matter. Till now I can claim that my product is not illegal,” he added.
He said further they had been producing a total of 143 items of drugs for the last 50 years without receiving any complaint.
RAB-8 sources said preparation for filing a case in this connection was underway till filling this report.