Prime Minister Tarique Rahman expressed strong dissatisfaction in parliament over the failure to import measles vaccines during the periods of autocratic and interim governments. Responding to a question from Jamaat-e-Islami MP Salah Uddin during the parliamentary question session chaired by Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmed, the prime minister said that the lack of vaccine imports over several years had led to the deaths of many children. He added that the government has taken swift measures to address the situation, including efforts to procure measles detection kits.

Salah Uddin raised concerns about the suspension of measles testing facilities in most institutions, including the country’s only infectious disease institute in Chattogram, forcing samples to be sent to Dhaka. In response, the prime minister acknowledged the shortage of testing kits and confirmed that the government is working to resolve it. She noted that UNICEF Bangladesh had provided significant assistance by sending vaccines quickly, enabling the government to plan immunization for about 20 million children.

The prime minister reiterated that the government is taking steps to control the situation and expedite the release of testing kits held in customs.