The Father of a child who died after contracting measles has sought to file a criminal case against former chief adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus, former health adviser Nur Jahan Begum, and two other former officials, accusing them of negligence, dereliction of duty, violation of the law, and causing death through negligence in connection with the country's measles outbreak.
Sirajul Islam, the bereaved father, filed the petition on Sunday with the court of Dhaka Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Jashita Islam.
The court recorded the complainant's statement and reserved its order on the application, according to the complainant's counsel Taslima Jahan Popy.
The other accused named in the petition are former Director General of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) Dr Md Abu Jafar and former Chief Adviser's Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam.
According to the petition, Sirajul Islam's nine-month-old daughter, Sauda Muskan, was admitted to Dhaka Medical College Hospital after developing a fever. He alleged that her condition worsened due to an acute shortage of hospital beds and oxygen, as well as negligence by doctors and nurses and the failure to provide timely and appropriate treatment.
The petition further claims that the child was unable to receive a measles vaccine because it was not available when required, and subsequently contracted the disease and died.
The complainant alleged that the interim government led by Prof Yunus, the then health adviser and the relevant health authorities failed to ensure the timely procurement, supply and nationwide distribution of measles vaccines, as well as the effective implementation of the immunisation programme.
He claimed that this alleged negligence resulted in the deaths of hundreds of children from measles across the country, while thousands of others remain under treatment.
The petition also alleges that the accused breached the state's constitutional obligation to safeguard public health and protect citizens' right to life, accusing them of abuse of authority, negligence and failure to discharge their statutory duties.
