A legal notice has been served on the government seeking a travel ban on former chief adviser of the interim government, Dr Muhammad Yunus, and several former advisers and officials, alleging that a policy decision involving the transfer of measles vaccination from state management to the private sector contributed to a deadly measles outbreak in the country.
The notice also called for an immediate investigation into the matter and the formation of a probe committee, while restricting the named individuals from leaving the country until the inquiry is completed.
The notice issuer Barrister M Ashraful Islam confirmed the matter to reporters on Monday
According to the notice, the alleged “unlawful act” involved shifting a key vaccination program, including measles immunization, from government control to private sector management. The complainant claimed that the recent severe measles outbreak—which had reportedly caused the deaths of over a hundred children and infected many others—was a consequence of this decision.
In addition to Yunus, the notice sought an investigation into former advisers Dr Asif Nazrul, Syeda Rizwana Hasan, Adilur Rahman Khan, Nurjahan Begum, Brigadier General (Retd) M Sakhawat Hossain, Jahangir Alam Chowdhury and Mostofa Sarwar Farooki, along with former press secretary to the chief adviser Shafiqul Alam and all concerned special assistants.
Addressed to the cabinet secretary, health secretary and home secretary, the notice had requested the formation of an inquiry committee within five days and the imposition of a travel ban on the individuals named. Failing this, Barrister Ashraful Islam said further legal steps, including filing a writ petition before the High Court, would be pursued.
No official response, however, was received from the relevant ministries or from the individuals named in the notice.