Sylhet:A mobile court in Sylhet city has sentenced a businessman to one year of imprisonment and fined three business establishments a total of Tk 1.80 lakh for the production of unauthorized medicines and the sale of counterfeit and substandard products.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the joint operation was carried out by the Directorate of National Consumer Rights Protection (DNCRP) along with the district administration. The drive was led by DNCRP Sylhet Divisional Office Deputy Director Md. Ariful Islam Mishu and District Administration Executive Magistrate Md. Rafiqul Islam.
The convicted businessman has been identified as Shah Jamal Uddin. Ariful Islam Mishu reported that one of the businesses was found manufacturing unauthorized medicines using hazardous chemicals, posing a serious risk to the human immune system. Although the packaging claimed the origin as "Pabna, Bangladesh," the traders could not provide valid details about the people responsible for the operation or the actual source of production.
In light of these findings, Executive Magistrate Md. Rafiqul Islam sentenced the involved businessman to one year of simple imprisonment and imposed a fine of Tk 1 lakh. Additionally, two other businesses faced fines totaling Tk 80,000 for selling unauthorized baby food and marketing substandard products using copied trademarks and packaging from other companies.
The DNCRP official emphasized that efforts to combat adulterated and counterfeit products would persist to safeguard public health.