United News of Bangladesh

The government has constituted a three-member commission to investigate alleged irregularities, delays and administrative failures in the procurement and distribution of measles vaccines and their adverse impact on public health. The Cabinet Division issued a notification in this regard on Wednesday. Former High Court Division Justice Mamnoon Rahman has been appointed chairman of the commission, while Bangladesh College of Physicians and Surgeons (BCPS) President Prof Dr Moudud Hossain Alamgir and Additional Secretary of the Health Services Division ANM Moinul Islam are its members. The move comes amid a measles outbreak in which the combined number of confirmed and suspected deaths has reached 1,269 in the country this year. According to the notification, the commission will also determine the responsibility of the interim government that was in office from August 8, 2024, to February 17, 2026. It will identify the causes of delays and irregularities in the procurement and distribution of measles vaccines, as well as administrative failures and those responsible for them. The commission will make recommendations on measures to prevent such incidents in the future and may offer recommendations on any other related issues it considers relevant. It will enjoy the authority to visit any place in Bangladesh and summon and question any person for the sake of investigation. The commission has been asked to complete the inquiry and submit its report to the government within 60 working days. The Health Services Division will provide the commission with secretarial and other necessary support. It will also assign the required number of officials from the division or its subordinate organisations to meet the commission's expenses and assist in the investigation. Meanwhile, six more children died with measles-like symptoms in the 24 hours ending at 8:00am on Wednesday, taking the combined number of confirmed and suspected measles-related deaths to 1,269 this year. With the latest deaths, the number of suspected measles fatalities has risen to 1,164, while confirmed deaths remain unchanged at 105. A total of 1,325 new suspected measles cases were reported during the 24-hour period, taking the cumulative number of suspected cases nationwide to 234,148. Meanwhile, 77 new confirmed measles cases were recorded, raising the total number of laboratory-confirmed infections to 24,150. Since March 15 this year, a total of 208,634 patients with suspected measles have been hospitalised across the country, of whom 199,894 have recovered, according to the DGHS.