A Dhaka court has dismissed an application to file a criminal case against former Chief Advisor of the interim government, Dr. Muhammad Yunus, and four others over the deaths of children from measles.
The Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (CMM) court dismissed the application following a hearing on Monday (June 8) afternoon.
Earlier in the morning, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Iqbal, independent MP from the Kishoreganj-5 constituency, filed the application.
The petition named five individuals: Dr. Yunus, former Health Advisor Nurjahan Begum, former Health Secretary Saidur Rahman, Dr. Yunus’s former Special Assistant Dr. Sayedur Rahman, and former Director General of Health Services (DGHS) Dr. Abu Zafar.
The plaintiff alleged that a nationwide shortage of measles vaccines and gross medical mismanagement led directly to the children's deaths. MP Iqbal claimed that the interim government’s negligence caused severe complications in importing foreign vaccines, which was eventually halted altogether due to a flawed tender process, allowing the disease to spread.
"I want punishment for those responsible for this tragedy," Iqbal stated. "No future government should ever neglect young children."
The allegations follow a May 20 press conference on the nation's measles outbreak held by UNICEF. During the briefing, UNICEF Representative Rana Flowers stated that the organization had warned the interim government 10 times and sent five official letters regarding an impending vaccine crisis, but claimed the Health Advisor took no preventive action at the time.
