Stop hiking medicine prices whimsically: HC

The High Court on Monday directed the authorities concerned to take the initiative to prevent price hikes of medicines whimsically.

The Director of Directorate General of Drug Administration (DGDA) has been asked to implement this order.

Following a writ filed earlier by the Consumer Association of Bangladesh (CAB), an HC bench of Justice Mostafa Zaman Islam and Justice Md Atabullah held a hearing today and passed the order.

The writ petitioner Jyotirmoy Barua confirmed the matter to journalists.

The court asked the health secretary and the DGDA to stop the arbitrary pricing of medicines, Barrister Jyotirmoy said.

At the same time, justices asked to stop selling unapproved foreign medicines and import row materials.

Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) has been directed to take action against the medicine companies and informed the update to the court in 30 days.

In the writ petition, the CAB prayed to the court to issue a rule upon the respondents to show cause as to why inaction of the Secretary of Health Services Division and the Director General of the Directorate General of Drug Administration (DGDA) in not fixing the price of all drugs under Section 30 of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 2023 should not be declared illegal.