The Dhaka Drug Court yesterday sent Abul Khayer Chowdhury, complainant of two cases filed over producing adulterated paracetamol syrup, to jail on charge of violating its order.
Also director of the Directorate General of Drug Administration, Abul Khayer had not responded to 18 arrest warrants and summons issued by the court.
Public prosecutor Md Shaheen Ahmed Khan said: ‘‘Abul Khayer appeared before the court to testify as plaintiff in the two cases filed in 1992 against BCI Bangladesh Ltd for producing toxic paracetamol syrup that allegedly killed many children.”
After recording his deposition partly, Judge Md Abdur Rashid enquired why he had not appeared before it complying with the court’s previous orders. Abul Khayer failed to give any satisfactory answer.
The court then sent him to jail saying that the official would remain in custody until the court completes recording his statements in the cases. The judge set Sunday for hearing and asked the authorities concerned to produce Abul Khayer before it on that day.
The court issued non-bailable arrest warrant and summons asking Abul Khair to appear before it
18 times between May 31, 2012 and June 22 this year. “But he did not pay any heed to the court order,” the public prosecutor said.
The cases were stuck with the court for a long time due to the non-appearance of the witnesses including the plaintiff. Court sources said hearing date in the case was deferred 20 times as none of the six witnesses gave their depositions.
Then drug superintendent Abul Khayer filed the cases with the Dhaka Drug Court against six top officials of BCI (Bangladesh) Ltd on November 30, 1992 for manufacturing spurious drug that killed many children in the early 1990s.
The accused are directors Shajahan Sarker, Shamsul Haque and Nurun Nahar; Executive Director ASM Badruddoza Chowdhury, Production Manager Md Tajul Haque and Quality Control Manager Ayesha Khatun. Of them, only Shajahan is on bail while the others have been on the run since the case was filed. Police are yet to arrest them.
Charges against the accused were placed on January 2, 1993 and they were indicted on August 2, 1994.
But the case was subsequently stalled until 2011 following a defence petition filed with the High Court. The court on February 20, 2011 ordered to start trial in the case.
