A court petition has been filed in Bangladesh seeking to bar former interim government chief adviser Muhammad Yunus and 24 others from leaving the country pending an investigation into the shortage of measles vaccines during his tenure. The outbreak has killed over 450 children since mid-March.
Measles outbreak and vaccine shortage
Measles is highly preventable with two doses of vaccine, typically administered from the age of nine months. However, Bangladesh reportedly faced a severe shortage of vaccines between 2024 and 2025, when Yunus served as the chief of the interim government. This shortage is blamed for the current outbreak.
Public interest litigation
Supreme Court lawyer M Ashraful Islam filed a public interest litigation (PIL) before the Bangladesh High Court, which is likely to be heard on Monday. The petition seeks directives for the government to investigate the role of Yunus and others in the vaccine shortage crisis.
Demands for accountability
Health experts and doctors under the banner of 'Bangladesh Child Protection Initiative' have condemned the interim government and the then health administration for the vaccine shortage that triggered the outbreak. They have demanded that Yunus and former health adviser Nurjahan Begum face trial for their alleged negligence.
The court's decision on the petition is awaited, as the nation grapples with the tragic loss of young lives due to a preventable disease.
