Verdict in adulterated drugs deferred

A Dhaka court has deferred its verdict in a case against pharmaceutical company Adflame for manufacturing adulterated drugs.

This was done because the two accused were absent in court.

The Drug Court on Thursday set July 22 as a new date for the verdict following the plea of the accused seeking more time.

Public Prosecutor Shaheen Ahmed Khan said of the five accused, one of the company’s owner Azfar Pasha is absconding, as are quality control officers Md Noman and Nrigendra Nath Bala .

However, the company manager Mizanur Rahman and director Dr Helen Pasha appeared in the court regularly after securing bail.

The two did not show up in the court on Thursday saying they were ill and the court deferred the verdict for that, their counsel said.

The case was filed on Jan 2, 1993 after toxic chemicals were found in a Paracetamol syrup manufactured by the company, said Rafiqul Islam, a court official.

Many children were admitted to the hospital with kidney disease after taking the drug.

At least 76 of them died later, the case details indicated..

About 2,700 children have died of kidney failure in Bangladesh between 1980 and 1992.