Terming the policy as an amended drug policy of 1982 they said it is a 'drug industry policy' where the issues of affordability of common people to drugs in terms of their prices and quality have been overlooked.

The roundtable titled ' National Drug Policy: Present Circumstances' was jointly organised by Doctors for Health and Environment and Pharmacy Graduates Association, Bangladesh at the National Press Club in the city.

The speakers said a large number of counterfeit drugs are prevailing in the market but the policy did not tell anything about their enlistment for cancellation.

"Instead of controlling the import of medicine, the policy rather creates opportunity for multinational companies to sell their products here and there is no provision for price control leading to irrational price hike of drugs," said Prof ABM Farouque of Dhaka University while reading out the keynote paper.

In the name of flourishing country's drug industry and increasing exports, the policy creates scope for marketing the abandoned drugs, said Ishtiak Ahmed, general secretary of Pharmacy Graduates Association.

The speakers stressed the need for preparing a list of essential drugs and formulation of a consumer-friendly policy where people would get quality drugs at a rational price.

They said the obligation of manufacturing life saving drugs has been withdrawn and the essential drugs are turned into commodity by amending the policy adversely.

"The effectiveness of drugs will not be available to common people if the price is not brought under control," said Dr Zafrullah Chowdhury, project co-ordinator of Gonoswasthya Kendra, adding that the counterfeit medicines have been spreading over the market along with increasing profit of the drug industries.

The speakers criticised the role of Drug Control Committee saying that there was no drug expert in the committee, rather most of the members were from the Association for Pharmaceuticals Industries.

They said even two-thirds of the members were from the drug companies and business representatives while amending the policy.

National Professor Nurul Islam was present at the roundtable as chief guest while Dr Pinaki Bhattacharya, Secretary General of Swadhinata Chikitsak Parishad Prof M Iqbal Arslan, Associate Professor of BSMMU Dr Muhammad Sayedur Rahman, Dr Moshtak Hossain and Kazi Faroque Ahmed of Consumers Association of Bangladesh (Cab) also spoke.

Former president of Bangladesh Medical Association (BMA) Prof Rashid-e-Mahbub moderated the roundtable.