HC asks why drugmakers' price fixing power not illegal

The High Court on Tuesday issued a rule asking the government to explain as to why the gazette notification issued by the health ministry giving power to the pharmaceutical companies to fix the prices of medicines should not be declared illegal, reports UNB.

An HC bench of justice Syed Muhammad Dastagir Husain and justice Md Iqbal Kabir issued the rule following a writ petition filed by Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh.

Lawyer Manzil Murshid stood for the petitioner.

Manzil Murshid said according to the Drug (control) Ordinance-1982 the government is the authority to fix the prices of drugs and government has been doing so by fixing the prices of 700 drugs up until 1993.

But in 1994, the health ministry issued a notification where it mentioned that the government has the power to fix the prices of 117 medicines only and the rest others will be fixed by the pharmaceutical companies, which is a violation of law.

Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh on Monday filed a writ petition challenging the legality of the notification.