Dhaka: A writ petition was filed with the High Court on Sunday seeking its directives to provide Tk 2 crore each to the family members of 352 children who died from measles. The petition also sought directives to establish specialized measles treatment units equipped with ICU, PICU, and necessary diagnostic facilities at every district hospital and upazila health complex across the country.
According to United News of Bangladesh, the petition called for the formation of a 10-member investigation committee comprising representatives from the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF, and the Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR). This committee is tasked with identifying the root causes of the measles outbreak, administrative failures, and those responsible, and submitting a report to the court within 30 days. Additionally, the petition sought an order directing the authorities to provide an affidavit within seven days detailing the current status of the stock, preservation, and supply systems of measles and rabies vaccines nationwide.
Supreme Court lawyer Mohammad Humayun Kabir Pallob and others filed the petition on behalf of the human rights organization Law and Life Foundation Trust. The Secretary to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), the Secretary to the Home Ministry, the Director General of DGHS, and the director of IEDCR were made respondents to the rule. The writ was submitted with permission from the bench comprising Justice Razik-Al-Jalil and Justice Debasish Roy Chowdhury.
According to the writ petition, 352 children have died in the severe measles outbreak that began in Bangladesh in March 2026. Thousands of children across the country are being infected, turning the situation into one of the most serious public health crises in the country’s recent history. The petition stated that these deaths were not sudden or unavoidable but resulted from policy changes in vaccine procurement and supply systems, disruption of effective mechanisms, ignoring warnings from international organizations, and inadequate healthcare infrastructure.
The petition highlighted that after a long-standing vaccine procurement system managed through UNICEF was changed and an open tender system was introduced by the interim government, serious disruptions occurred in the supply and vaccination program for measles in the country. UNICEF repeatedly warned the then health adviser, Nurjahan Begum, about a possible vaccine shortage, the outbreak of the disease, and the risk of child deaths, but those warnings were not heeded.
Furthermore, the petition noted that due to the lack of adequate ICU, PICU, and specialized treatment facilities at district and upazila levels, many children did not receive timely medical care. Families moved from one hospital to another but failed to secure ICU or PICU beds for their children, resulting in several deaths. A legal notice was sent on May 5, 2026, to the relevant authorities requesting urgent measures. As no effective remedial steps were taken, and the measles situation continues to worsen, the writ petition was filed in the public interest.