Paracetamol adulteration: Verdict deferred to Aug 17

A Dhaka court today deferred to August 17 its verdict delivery on adulteration of paracetamol by BCIB that caused death of 76 children in 1992.

Dhaka Drug Court Judge M Atoar Rahman set the date this morning saying that he is yet to prepare the judgment in this case.

BCIB Ltd is one of the four drug manufacturing firms that tainted Paracetamol syrup with lethal diethylene glycol, which caused renal failure of children, taking at least 76 lives in 1992. 

READ more: A regret for life

According to a survey by Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University, disclosed in the 1990s, as many as 2,700 children died due to renal failure after taking toxic syrup from 1982 to 1992. 

Two cases were filed against six employees of BCIB after two batches of the company's paracetamol syrup “Paracem” was found containing more than 25 percent of the life threatening chemical.

The trials were stuck at the High Court until The Daily Star in 2009 revealed how manipulation and graft secured a stay on the cases’ proceedings in 1994. For 16 years, the stay remained.

Trials resumed following reports. However, it was not until 2011 that the BCIB trial started.

It took a year for the trial to come close to an end.

Reluctance of the case's complainant, Abul Khair, the then superintendent of the Directorate of Drug Administration, to testify before the court obstructed the trial until he finally responded to the court's summon issued for the 19th time last August.

Khair was sent to jail from the court and was released days later only after he pledged to submit to the court all documents required. 

Public Prosecutor Nadim Miah is hopeful of getting the accused, only one of the six being present, punished for the crime committed decades ago.  

The only present accused, Shahjahan Sarker, director of the company, faces punishment of 10 years' imprisonment if he is found guilty.