Court Petition Against Dr. Yunus, 4 Others Over Vaccine Shortage

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Court Petition Against Dr. Yunus, 4 Others Over Vaccine Shortage

Staff reporter

A legal petition has been submitted to a Dhaka metropolitan court accusing former Chief Adviser Dr. Muhammad Yunus and four other former officials of negligence related to a reported shortage of measles-rubella vaccines.

The petition was filed by Member of Parliament Sheikh Mojibur Rahman Iqbal, who alleged that delays in vaccine procurement and distribution exposed thousands of children to serious health risks and contributed to increased cases of measles infections.

According to court sources, the complainant’s statement has been recorded, and the matter is currently under judicial review. The court is expected to issue its observations after examining the petition.

Besides Dr. Yunus, the petition names former Health Adviser Nur Jahan Begum, former Health Secretary Md. Saidur Rahman, former Special Assistant Prof. Dr. Muhammad Sayedur Rahman, and former Director General of Health Services Prof. Dr. Md. Abu Jafar.

The application claims that failures in ensuring the timely availability of vaccines disrupted routine immunization services, leaving many children vulnerable to preventable diseases.

The petitioner further argues that warnings regarding a possible vaccine shortage had been raised earlier but were not addressed adequately, resulting in a public health challenge and additional financial burdens on affected families.

The case has attracted significant public attention, and many observers are now awaiting the court’s decision on whether further investigation or legal proceedings will be initiated.