Law enforcement authorities sealed off G Sons Laboratories, an unlicensed pharmaceutical factory which is located at a residential area in Barisal city, yesterday and put the owner in jail.
Shafiqur Rahman, superintendent at the Directorate General of Drug Administration (DGDA), Barisal office, said Administrative Magistrate Qamruzzaman led the drive and was accompanied by Bhaskar Saha, assistant commissioner (detective branch) of Barisal Metropolitan Police.
The drive was conducted based on a complaint that the factory was producing fake and adulterated drugs, said the superintendent.
The complaint was filed by Sabbir Ahmed, director of Indo-Bangla Pharmaceuticals, he added.
The law enforcers also arrested ABM Manirul Islam, who was running the factory illegally in a residential house in the city’s Fakirbari area.
The factory was sealed off after Manir failed to present any valid licence for the production of drugs and medicines.
The products at the factory were also found to be contaminated with fungi and adulterated with chemicals which are harmful for health.
The work environment in the factory was also unhealthy, with substandard equipment, and an illegal power connection.
The mobile court seized the adulterated products and packing materials worth Tk5 lakh and sentenced Manir to two years of imprisonment, said the magistrate.
Confessing his crimes, Manir said he had started producing Ayuverdic drugs around eight years ago after acquiring a licence from the authority concerned, but did not renew the licence since 2009, despite having a good market for his products.