Amid a health crisis sweeping across Bangladesh, a petition has been filed in the Supreme Court seeking a travel ban on former chief adviser Muhammad Yunus and members of his interim government, holding them partly responsible for lapses in vaccination policy.
Bangladesh is grappling with its deadliest measles outbreak in two decades, with over 250 deaths — mostly children — reported since March 15.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS), 43 deaths have been officially confirmed as measles, while 216 others are suspected cases.
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Reports from The Daily Star indicate that 91% of infections are among children aged 1 to 14. The outbreak has spread rapidly, with the World Health Organisation (WHO) stating that 58 out of 64 districts across all eight divisions have been affected.
Around 79% of cases involve children under five. In response, authorities launched an emergency vaccination drive on Sunday after more than 7,500 cases were recorded.
However, confusion deepened after Health and Family Welfare Minister Sardar Sakhawat Hossain said the last measles vaccines were administered eight years ago, according to Prothom Alo.
Hossain, part of the Tarique Rahman-led Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) government that came to power in February 2026, blamed both the previous Sheikh Hasina-led Awami League regime and the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government for the outbreak.
“The outbreak is caused by the complete mismanagement and failures of past governments — specifically the fascist government and the most recent interim government,” Hossain was quoted as saying by The Daily Star.
He added that “poor decisions” led to vaccine shortages, impacting immunisation for measles and six other diseases.
Bangladesh typically conducts a nationwide measles vaccination campaign every four years, with the last held in 2020.
Shahriar Sajjad, deputy director of the Health Department, told BBC Bangla that the Covid-19 pandemic and political instability disrupted subsequent drives.
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Vaccination coverage has also declined sharply. Prothom Alo reported that immunisation among children aged 12 months fell to 59.6% in 2025 during the interim government's tenure.
This marks a steep drop from the 89% to 103% range recorded between 2017 and 2023 under the Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI), and 86.6% in 2024.
The legal notice seeking a travel ban was filed on April 6 by Supreme Court lawyer M Ashraful Islam.
It accuses the Yunus-led administration of pursuing an “unlawful and malicious” move to shift the measles vaccination programme from the public to the private sector, according to The Business Standard.
The notice also calls for an investigation into the alleged policy shift and seeks restrictions on travel for several former officials, including advisers Asif Nazrul, Syeda Rizwana Hasan, Nurjahan Begum, former press secretary Shafiqul Alam, and other associates.
Meanwhile, the High Court has directed the government to explain within four weeks why its failure to contain the outbreak should not be declared illegal, reported NewAgeBD.
It has also ordered authorities to ensure an uninterrupted supply of vaccines, syringes, and related logistics, and to submit an action-taken report within two weeks.
The outbreak has shaken Bangladesh's reputation as a vaccination success story.
“Bangladesh has a strong history of high immunisation coverage, but even small disruptions can lead to the gradual accumulation of immunity gaps over time,” the WHO said.
The crisis is now being linked to both political instability in 2024 and policy decisions taken during the interim government, as the country struggles to contain a surge that has claimed hundreds of young lives.
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