A mobile court yesterday fined 14 drug stores in Chittagong with Tk1.25 lakh for selling unlicensed and expired drugs.
The mobile court led by Executive Magistrate Rakibul Hasan conducted the drive around 25 drug stores from 1:30pm to 5pm in Hajaree Lane, known as the drug selling hub of the port city.
Sources in the Drug Administration and Bangladesh Chemist and Druggist Samity said most of the drug stores in Hajaree Lane were found selling unapproved Indian drugs and government hospital’s medicines without approval.
Some unscrupulous traders were found selling foreign food in the name of drugs. The court sealed off one Jyoti Pharmacy for containing stocks of unauthorised foreign drugs. Owner of the store fled sensing the drive.
Bangladesh Chemist and Druggist Samity President Samir Kanti Sikdar said there are around 400 drug stores in Hajaree Lane of which a few were selling the unapproved foreign medicines.
Central Drug Testing Laboratory Director Mushfiqur Rahman said most of the drug stores are selling unapproved Indian, Pakistani and other foreign medicines, however, the percentage has decreased recently.
Traders mainly bring cold medicines, pain killers, ointments, tasty saline and Vitamin C tablets which are in high demand among people, he added.
Another member of the mobile court Superintendent of Drug Administration in Chittagong KM Muhsin Mahbub said: “Every drug must carry a Drug Administration Registration (DAR) number which most of the drugs in these shops did not have.”
