Published : 06 Jul 2026, 07:22 AM
Updated : 08 Sep 2026, 09:22 AM
A writ petition has been filed with the High Court seeking compensation over an infant’s death reportedly from measles, alleging negligence in vaccine procurement and supply.
The High Court has been moved to order compensation over an infant’s death reportedly from measles, alleging negligence in vaccine procurement and supply by the interim administration.
Filed on Sunday, a writ petition named six respondents, including former chief advisor to the interim government Muhammad Yunus.
The other respondents are the secretaries of the health ministry, Health Services Division and social welfare ministry, the director general of health services, and the Dhaka district administrator.
Safwan Islam Jahin, 7, son of Supreme Court Bar Association clerk Md Shakil, died at Baby Care and General Hospital in Dhaka's Shyamoli on May 26.
Lawyer Md Jewel Azad filed the petition on Shakil's behalf, alleging negligence in preventing the outbreak.
The petition seeks the formation of an independent investigation committee comprising public health experts to determine the causes of the alleged negligence.
It also seeks Tk 500,000 in interim compensation and Tk 10 million as final compensation.
"If proper treatment or services had been provided, the petitioner believes his son would not have been infected," Jewel Azad told bdnews24.com.
"A member of the Supreme Court has lost his child and has come to court seeking justice."
Explaining why Yunus was named, the lawyer said the former chief advisor was included because he headed the interim government during the period in question.
The petition alleges that the normal vaccine procurement process was disrupted between Aug 8, 2024 and Feb 17, 2026, during the interim government's tenure, and calls for an assessment of alleged negligence in vaccine stock management and supply.
It also seeks an order directing authorities to submit all records related to vaccine procurement and stockpiling from January 2024, alongside a rule and other necessary directives.
Jewel said the matter is likely to be heard soon by the High Court bench of Justice SM Iftekhar Uddin Mahamud.
