Mobile Court Drive Against Expired Medicines in Bhanga Bazaar, Faridpur; Obstruction Raised Against Journalists

 Faridpur Representative:

A mobile court conducted a drive in the Bhanga Bazaar area against the sale of expired, government-prohibited, and physician sample medicines. The drive was carried out on Monday afternoon in various pharmacies across Bhanga Bazaar.

During the operation, 5 cases were filed under relevant sections of the Medicines and Cosmetics Act, 2023, for selling expired, prohibited, and physician sample medicines.

A total of 43,000 Taka was realized as fines across these cases. During the drive, allegations arose that Kibriya Biswas, President of the Bhanga Bazaar Medicine Business Association, obstructed local journalists and prevented them from taking photographs.

Five establishments were fined during the operation:

• Roy Pharmacy (Provider: Shuvo Roy): 10,000 Taka
• National Medico (Provider: Subrata Roy): 10,000 Taka
• Brishti Pharmacy (Provider: Siddiqur Rahman): 10,000 Taka
• Padma Drug House (Provider: Bipul Chandra Mala): 8,000 Taka
• Ekota Pharmacy: 5,000 Taka

The total collected fine of 43,000 Taka has been deposited into the government treasury. Additionally, the seized expired and prohibited medicines were later publicly destroyed. The mobile court was conducted by Sadrul Alam Siyam, Assistant Commissioner (Land) and Executive Magistrate.

Md. Nazmul Hasan, Assistant Director of the Directorate of Drug Administration, Faridpur, was present as the prosecutor during the mobile court drive. Police personnel from Bhanga Police Station provided overall assistance during the operation.

However, allegations indicate that when local journalists went to take pictures, Bhanga Bazaar Medicine Business Association President Kibriya Biswas started arguing with them, forbade them from capturing the drive, and instructed them not to publish the photographs.

Present citizens and locals remarked that everyone, including the journalists, was left stunned by the medicine association president's behavior.

The concerned authorities stated that such drives against expired, prohibited, and unauthorized medicines will continue in the future to protect public health.