A writ petition has been filed with the High Court seeking a directive to pay Tk 2 crore in compensation to each family of the 352 children who have reportedly died from measles and measles-like symptoms.
Supreme Court lawyer Barrister Humayun Kabir Pallab submitted the public interest litigation (PIL) on Sunday, naming the Health Secretary and other relevant officials as respondents.
The petition was filed attaching a newspaper report stating that 352 children have died from measles and related complications over the past 55 days. According to the report, an average of at least six children have been dying each day, while in the past week the daily death toll has risen to around 10.
It further said that despite official assurances of a decline in measles-related child mortality, the number of deaths has instead increased by one and a half times.
The highest number of cases has been reported in the Dhaka division, while Rangpur division remains the least affected. On the previous day alone, nine more children were reported to have died from measles and its complications.
Citing regular bulletins from the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), the report also noted a continuing rise in both infections and hospital admissions. Public health experts have warned that even if the official figures are taken at face value, the situation remains alarming, with children being the most affected group as the infection continues to spread.
