The Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (CMM) court of Dhaka on Monday (June 8) rejected a case petition filed against five people including chief adviser of the former interim government Professor Dr Muhammad Yunus over their alleged negligence in importing measles vaccines on time which led to the deaths of hundreds of children in the country.
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Iqbal, Member of Parliament for Kishoreganj-5, filed the case petition on Monday (June 8) at the court of Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Jasita Islam in Dhaka. Later, the court rejected the case petition.
Apart from Professor Dr Yunus, the plaintiff pleaded to the court to make four other individuals accused in the case. They were former Health Avdiser Noor Jahan Begum, former Health and Family Welfare secretary Saidur Rahman, special assistant to the former chief adviser Prof Dr Muhammad Sayedur Rahman and former Director General of the Department of Health Professor Dr Md Abu Zafar.
According to the government's data, some 80,000 children have availed treatment for measles at difference hospitals of the country since March 15 last. Of them, more than 600 children died.
It was stated in the case petition that though former chief adviser of the interim government is a highly educated and Nobel laureate, his utter negligence in duties and deliberate activities have led to the death of hundreds of infants in the country due to measles and risked the lives of children. "The deaths were tantamount to murder."
The plaintiff also pleaded to the court to issue arrest warrants taking the complaints against the accused into cognizance.
END/COURT CORRESPONDENT/ASA
