DHAKA: As a deadly measles outbreak continues to spread across Bangladesh, killing more than 450 children since mid-March, a petition has been filed seeking restrictions on former interim government chief adviser Muhammad Yunus and 24 others from leaving the country pending an investigation into alleged vaccine shortages during his tenure.
The petition, filed before the Bangladesh High Court by Supreme Court lawyer M Ashraful Islam, is expected to come up for hearing on Monday.
In the public interest litigation (PIL), the petitioner has sought court directives ordering the government to investigate the role of Yunus and several former officials over the alleged shortage of measles vaccines between 2024 and 2025, a period during which Yunus headed the interim administration.
Measles, a highly contagious but preventable disease, can largely be avoided through two doses of vaccination administered from the age of nine months onward. However, according to the petition, Bangladesh faced a severe shortage of measles vaccines during the period in question, contributing to the current outbreak.
Health experts and doctors associated with the “Bangladesh Child Protection Initiative” have accused the interim government and the then health administration of failing to ensure adequate vaccine supply and distribution.
The group has demanded legal action against Yunus and former health adviser Nurjahan Begum, alleging administrative negligence that may have worsened the public health crisis.
The outbreak has sparked growing concern among medical professionals and rights groups, who warn that delays in immunisation coverage could leave thousands more children vulnerable to infection.
