Petition Over Measles Deaths Against Yunus to Be Decided on July 12

Bangla Press Desk:  A Dhaka court is going to decide on Jul 12 whether to accept a petition seeking criminal proceedings against former chief advisor Muhammad Yunus and former health advisor Nurjahan Begum over the alleged negligent deaths of children from measles.

Dhaka Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Jashita Islam set the date on Sunday after recording the complainant's statement, according to court bench assistant Ashutosh Bhowmik.

The petition also seeks to make former Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) director general Dr Abu Jafar and former chief advisor's press secretary Shafiqul Alam accused in the case.

Earlier, multiple petitions filed in Dhaka courts on similar allegations against Yunus and Nurjahan were dismissed.

The latest petition was filed by Sirajul Islam, the father of 9-month-old Sauda Nuskan, who died after contracting measles.

The court recorded his statement in the morning and reserved its decision before fixing Jul 12 for the order later in the day.

According to the petition, Sauda, a resident of Shariatpur Sadar, developed a fever in late February and early March this year.

She was admitted to Dhaka Medical College Hospital in the first week of March after being diagnosed with measles.

The petition says the child did not receive the necessary support for measles treatment there and was transferred to the Infectious Diseases Hospital in Mohakhali on Mar 22.

It alleges that the child died on Mar 26 due to the “non-cooperation and negligence” of doctors and nurses at the hospital.

The petition also alleges that delays in vaccine supply, the failure of hospital authorities to take appropriate measures, and the interim government's “gross negligence” and “serious carelessness” in procuring and administering vaccines led to the deaths of more than 600 children across Bangladesh.