Writ filed seeking travel ban on Dr Yunus, 24 others

A writ petition has been filed with the High Court seeking a directive to restrict the foreign travel of 24 individuals, including Dr. Muhammad Yunus, until the completion of an investigation into alleged irregularities surrounding changes in the country’s measles vaccination programme.

The petition was submitted on Sunday (May 17) to the relevant High Court bench by Supreme Court lawyer Barrister M. Ashraful Islam.

In the petition, the decision to shift the state-run measles vaccination programme to the private sector has been described as “criminal negligence.” The petitioner has also sought the formation of a high-powered investigative committee to examine alleged irregularities in the process.

Secretaries of the Cabinet Division, Health Ministry, Home Ministry, Public Administration Ministry, and the Director General of Health Services have been made respondents in the petition.

Those named in the petition include Dr. Muhammad Yunus, Dr. Asif Nazrul, Syeda Rizwana Hasan, Adilur Rahman Khan, Nurjahan Begum, Brigadier (Retd.) Sakhawat Hossain, Jahangir Alam Chowdhury, Mostofa Sarwar Farooki, and former press secretary Shafiqul Alam, among others.

The lawyer said he had earlier served a legal notice on April 6 over the same issue, requesting the formation of an inquiry committee and travel restrictions within five days. As no action was taken, the writ petition was filed as the next legal step.

He further claimed that the petition is linked to concerns over a widespread measles outbreak in which more than a hundred children have reportedly died and many others are receiving treatment in hospitals.

The High Court is expected to hear the petition in due course.