BCI owner claims innocence

Owner of BCI Bangladesh Ltd, one of the four pharmaceuticals, which were sued over the deaths of 76 children from consumption of adulterated paracetamol syrup two decades back, yesterday claimed himself "innocent" before a Dhaka drug court in two cases. 

Md Shahjahan Sarkar, who is now on bail, made the claim before Judge M Atowar Rahman of the Drug Court of Dhaka which fixed August 6 for hearing arguments in the cases.

On December 19, 1992, two cases were filed against six high officials of BCI Bangladesh Ltd, including Shahjahan, after two batches of the company's paracetamol syrup "Paracem" was found containing more than 25 percent diethylene glycol.

Five other officials of the company went into hiding after the cases were filed.

On August 8 last year, the court after starting the trial sent the complainant, Abul Khair Chowdhury, an assistant director of the Directorate General of Drug Administration, to jail for defying 18 consecutive court orders to give testimony.

Earlier July 22 last year, the same court gave 10 years' rigorous imprisonment to the owner and two officials of Adflame Pharmaceuticals.

Two accused from another company, Rex Pharma, secured acquittal in 2003 as the prosecution never produced any evidence while the case against Polychem has been stayed since 1994 due to non-availability of evidence.

As many as 2,700 children died from adulterated Paracetamol syrup between 1982 and 1992, according to a study of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University.