The drug administration was collecting samples of a batch of Napa syrup from the market for lab tests.
The move came following the deaths of two siblings -- Yasin Khan, 7, and Morsalin Khan, 5 -- on Thursday night in Durgapur union of Brahmanbaria's Ashuganj upazila.
Family members alleged that the children, who were suffering from high fever, died after they were given the medicine, produced by Beximco Pharmaceuticals Ltd. They said they bought it from a local drug store named "Maa Pharmacy".
They said the children's health deteriorated after they consumed the syrup, and they were rushed to the district Sadar hospital. Both were released after primary treatment, but Yasin died on the way while Morsalin after reaching home.
In a circular on Saturday, the Directorate General of Drug Administration (DGDA) said the syrup in question was manufactured under batch number 32113121 at a Beximco factory in Tongi, Gazipur, in December last year. The batch expires in November 2023.
Ayub Hossain, spokesperson for the DGDA, said the drug administration formed two committees to investigate the matter, and one of them has already visited the factory in Tongi.
The other committee, headed by DGDA Director Akib Hossain, talked to the family members of the two children and recorded their statements, reports our correspondent in Brahmanbaria.
Drug administration officials in the district found eight bottles of the syrup at Maa Pharmacy and sent them to the DGDA headquarters for lab testing.
"We hope to get the results by tomorrow [today]. Once we have the report in hand, we will decide whether the syrup will be withdrawn from the market or not," Ayub Hossain told The Daily Star yesterday.
Health Minister Zahid Maleque yesterday said legal actions would be taken if anyone is found guilty over the deaths of the two children.
"The Directorate General of Drug Administration is doing whatever is necessary. Our Health Services Division is also working on the matter. Steps will be taken and you'll see that," he told journalists following an event in Dhaka.
Contacted, Rabbur Reza, chief operating officer (COO) of Beximco Pharmaceuticals Ltd, said the company produces around 1.5-2 lakh bottles of Napa syrup every day.
"Around 100 crore bottles of the syrup were produced in the last 40 years and not a single case of adverse effects was reported," he said.
He also said they had no connections with the drug store in Brahmanbaria and that the store had "no licence".
"We want to know how such a store continued its operations. We are cooperating with the DGDA authorities for the investigation."
Replying to a question, he said 83,000 bottles of syrup were produced under the batch in question in December last year. "After releasing every batch in the market, we keep their samples with us. We tested the samples and found everything was perfect," he also said.
