Dhaka, Nov 24 (V7N)- The High Court has issued a full verdict stating that the government, not pharmaceutical companies, will determine the prices of life-saving drugs.

The ruling follows a public interest litigation (PIL) filed in 2018 by Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh, challenging a circular that allowed manufacturers to set the prices of all medicines except 117 life-saving drugs. The petitioners argued that limiting the government’s power to regulate medicine prices violated citizens’ right to life.

After reviewing the arguments of both parties, a High Court bench comprising Justice Rezaul Hasan and Justice Biswajit Debnath ruled on August 25, 2025, that the government must determine the prices of life-saving medicines and declared the Ministry of Health’s circular invalid. The court also directed the appropriate authority to publish the prices in the official gazette.

Historically, under the Drug Control Ordinance 1982, the government had fixed the prices of 739 drugs in 1993. However, in 1994, the government restricted this power to only 117 drugs, leaving the pricing of other medicines to manufacturers.

The verdict ensures that the government will now have the authority to regulate all life-saving drugs crucial for protecting public health.

END/SMA/AJ