A National Citizens Party (NCP) leader in Faridpur has been sentenced to six months in prison and fined Tk10,000 after a mobile court found an allegedly unauthorised factory producing sexual stimulants, baby gel and other products.
Mohammad Bayezid Hossain Shahed, 40, a senior joint convener of the NCP’s Faridpur district committee, was sentenced following a raid on his Messrs Janata Laboratories facility in the Goalchamot area of Faridpur city.
Shahed is a resident of Alfadanga upazila but currently lives in Goalchamot. The mobile court conducted the proceedings after the factory was raided on Tuesday night.
Insana Tanzin Iko, executive magistrate at the district administration and judge of the mobile court, confirmed the action. She said the raid was carried out at the factory that night and that Shahed was subsequently sent to Faridpur District Jail to serve the sentence.
According to information from the mobile court, the factory had allegedly been operating without the required legal authorisation since September 2022. Authorities said they found the facility being used to manufacture baby gel for children, various types of sexual stimulant products and a substantial quantity of Ayurvedic medicines.
A large amount of medicines and other materials was recovered and seized during the operation. The authorities said the raid was conducted over alleged violations of relevant provisions of the Essential Commodities Control Act.
The case has drawn attention because of Shahed’s position as a district-level political leader. His party colleagues said his political affiliation would not shield him from organisational action if an investigation established wrongdoing.
Saif Hasan Khan, member secretary of the NCP’s Faridpur district committee, said the party would not compromise over wrongdoing. He said action would be taken against any party member found to have acted improperly, adding that the matter would be investigated and reported to the party’s central leadership.
The authorities did not immediately provide details about the quantity of products manufactured at the facility, where they were intended to be distributed or whether any of the seized products had reached consumers.
The raid also brings into focus the regulatory requirements surrounding the production of medicines and health-related products. Manufacturing such products without the necessary approvals can raise concerns over quality control, safety and compliance with applicable regulations. In this case, however, the action announced by the mobile court was specifically linked to alleged violations of the relevant law.
The seized materials will remain part of the legal and administrative process arising from the raid. Further details about the factory’s operations and any additional action may emerge as the authorities examine the case.
