Court dismisses case petition against Yunus, four others over Measles deaths

A Dhaka court dismissed a criminal complaint filed against former Chief Adviser Dr. Muhammad Yunus and four other officials over child deaths linked to the country's measles vaccine shortage, hours after the petition was submitted.

The Chief Metropolitan Magistrate's Court rejected the application following a hearing in the this afternoon (June 8), the same day independent MP Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Iqbal of Kishoreganj-5 had filed it in the morning.

The complaint had sought to implicate five individuals — Dr. Yunus, former Health Adviser Nurjahan Begum, former Health Secretary Saidur Rahman, Dr. Yunus's former special health assistant Dr. Sayedur Rahman, and former Director General of Health Services Dr. Abu Jafar — alleging that negligence in vaccine procurement led directly to a measles outbreak and subsequent child fatalities.

The petitioner alleged that the interim government halted the established UNICEF-based vaccine import mechanism and shifted to an open tender process, causing prolonged delays that allowed the disease to spread nationwide.

Speaking after the dismissal, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Iqbal stood by his submission. "I am seeking punishment for those responsible. My aim is to ensure that no future government can afford to be negligent toward young children," he said.

The complaint drew on a May 20 press conference held by UNICEF Bangladesh, at which representative Rana Flowers disclosed that the organisation had issued ten warnings and sent five formal letters to the interim government about the impending vaccine crisis — none of which prompted timely action from the Health Adviser at the time.

The CMM court, after hearing the application, declined to admit it for further proceedings. No immediate explanation for the dismissal was made public.

The petitioner has not yet indicated whether the ruling will be challenged in a higher court.