JAGARAN CHAKMA

Makers of active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) at the API Industrial Park in Gazaria of Munshiganj have fallen into uncertainty as bureaucratic complexities and the lack of gas connections are preventing them from starting production.

Investors of API industries now need to secure a number of certifications before starting commercial production due to the enactment of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 2023.

Earlier, API manufacturers would only need a licence from the Directorate General of Drug Administration (DGDA).

But now, they also need permission from the Department of Narcotics, the Department of Explosives and the Ministry of Commerce before commissioning their units, which is a time-consuming process.

As such, the pharmaceutical sector will face challenges related to patent law after Bangladesh graduates from the UN’s list of least developed countries (LDC) in 2026, according to industry people.

Acme Laboratories, Healthcare Pharmaceuticals, and Ibn Sina Pharmaceutical Industry have already set up plants at the industrial park, but the bureaucratic tangles and lack of gas are preventing them from going into trial production.

“The facility was all set to begin production but suddenly fell in trouble due to the lack of gas connection and bureaucratic complexities, namely the enactment of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 2023,” said Muhammad Halimuzzaman, deputy managing director of Healthcare Pharmaceuticals Ltd.