A writ petition has been filed before Bangladesh’s High Court seeking an investigation into former interim government chief adviser Muhammad Yunus and 23 others over allegations linked to the dismantling of the country’s long-running state-managed measles vaccination program amid a nationwide outbreak that reportedly killed nearly 500 children.
The petition also seeks court directives barring the accused individuals from leaving the country until the completion of the investigation.
The writ was filed on Sunday by Supreme Court lawyer Barrister M. Ashraful Islam before the relevant branch of the High Court Division, accusing former policymakers and officials of what he described as “criminal negligence” in handling Bangladesh’s immunization system.
According to the petition, the decision to shift the measles vaccination program from state management to the private sector contributed to a resurgence of the highly contagious disease, triggering widespread infections and child deaths across the country.
The petition names several prominent former interim administration figures and officials, including former chief adviser Muhammad Yunus, former adviser Asif Nazrul, former adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan, former adviser Adilur Rahman Khan, former adviser Noorjahan Begum, retired Brigadier General Sakhawat Hossain, Jahangir Alam Chowdhury, filmmaker and former cultural adviser Mostofa Sarwar Farooki and former press secretary Shafiqul Alam, among others.
Cabinet Secretary, Health Secretary, Home Secretary, Public Administration Secretary and the Director General of the Directorate General of Health Services were also made respondents in the writ petition.
Allegations of “Criminal Negligence”
Barrister Ashraful Islam argued that the decision to transfer measles vaccination management from the state system to private operators amounted to a dangerous policy failure with deadly consequences.
Speaking to journalists after filing the petition at the Supreme Court premises in Dhaka on Sunday, Ashraful Islam said the country was experiencing a renewed measles outbreak that had already claimed the lives of nearly 500 children.
“Bangladesh is once again witnessing a widespread outbreak of measles,” he told reporters. “Hundreds of children have died, and many children and ordinary citizens are currently hospitalized after being infected.”
He further alleged that those named in the petition were involved in what he called an “evil and criminal effort” to move the vaccine system out of state control and into private hands.
The writ seeks the formation of an independent investigation committee to examine the policy decisions, identify those responsible and determine whether negligence or abuse of authority contributed to the deterioration of immunization coverage.
Earlier Legal Notice
The petition follows a legal notice sent on April 6 by Barrister Ashraful Islam to the relevant authorities.
In that notice, he demanded that the government form an investigation committee within five days and take steps to impose travel restrictions on Muhammad Yunus and members of the former advisory council pending investigation.
The lawyer had warned that legal action would follow if the demands were ignored.
Sunday’s writ petition was filed as a continuation of that earlier legal initiative, according to the petitioner.
Measles Concerns and Vaccination Debate
Measles remains one of the world’s most contagious viral diseases, particularly dangerous for children with weak immune systems or limited access to healthcare. Public health experts say sustained vaccination campaigns are essential to preventing outbreaks.
Bangladesh had long been internationally recognized for maintaining relatively strong childhood immunization coverage through its Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI), launched in the late 1970s with support from organizations including World Health Organization and UNICEF.
According to global health agencies, Bangladesh previously made significant progress in reducing measles-related deaths through nationwide vaccination drives. However, recent years have seen periodic outbreaks amid concerns over declining immunization rates, disruptions in healthcare delivery and vaccine hesitancy in some communities.
The current petition introduces a politically explosive dimension by directly linking the outbreak to alleged policy decisions taken during the interim administration that governed Bangladesh after the fall of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s government in August 2024.
Political Context
Following the ouster of the Sheikh Hasina-led government on Aug. 5, 2024, Bangladesh was governed by an army- and Islamist-backed interim administration led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus. Critics of the interim administration repeatedly accused it of weakening state institutions, politicizing governance and mishandling critical sectors including healthcare and public administration.
The BNP later came to power following the February 2026 election, in which the Awami League was barred from participating.
The latest writ petition is likely to intensify political debate over accountability for decisions taken during the interim administration period, particularly as Bangladesh continues to grapple with healthcare challenges and broader institutional instability.
As of Sunday evening, none of the individuals named in the petition had publicly responded to the allegations.
The High Court is expected to determine in the coming days whether the petition will proceed to formal hearing.
