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SANGSAD BHABAN, July 15, 2026 (BSS) - Health and Family Welfare Minister 
Sardar Md. Sakhawat Husain today said the government will intensify 
enforcement drives to stop the sale of antibiotics without valid medical 
prescriptions, warning that the misuse of antibiotics has become a major 
public health threat due to the growing prevalence of antimicrobial 
resistance (AMR).

"The existing laws prohibiting the sale of antibiotics without a physician's 
prescription are being strictly enforced, and the enforcement drives will be 
further strengthened," he told Parliament.

The minister made the remarks while responding to a call attention notice on 
matters of urgent public importance under Rule-71 raised by ruling party 
lawmaker Shirin Sultana (Reserved Women's Seat-2) in the Jatiya Sangsad (JS).

Raising the issue, Shirin Sultana said many people in the country take 
antibiotics on the advice of pharmacy salespersons instead of consulting 
registered physicians. 

She also noted that many patients fail to complete the prescribed course of 
antibiotics, allowing bacteria to survive and develop antimicrobial 
resistance, making common infections increasingly difficult and, at times, 
impossible to treat.

She said the World Health Organization (WHO) has identified antimicrobial 
resistance as one of the world's most serious public health threats and 
sought to know the government's plans to curb the sale of antibiotics without 
prescriptions.

In reply, the health minister said appropriate legal provisions already exist 
to address each of the issues raised and that actions are being taken 
regularly under the existing laws.

He said after assuming office, the government conducted drives at eight to 
ten Ayurvedic and Unani medicine manufacturing facilities, where counterfeit 
drug production units were detected. "Legal action, including fines and other 
punitive measures, was taken against those responsible, and such operations 
would continue," he added.

Sakhawat Husain said mobile teams, led by executive magistrates, are 
regularly conducting inspections at medicine shops across upazilas and urban 
areas to prevent the sale of counterfeit medicines. Offenders are being 
arrested or fined, while the law provides for a maximum punishment of 10 
years' imprisonment for such offences, he continued.

 
Referring to the misuse of antibiotics, the health minister said the law 
clearly prohibits dispensaries and pharmacies from selling antibiotics 
without a physician's prescription, adding that the matter remains under 
continuous monitoring through inspection and mobile court operations.

He said since assuming office, the government has been working to eliminate 
such irregularities in the public interest and vowed to enforce the law more 
rigorously in the coming days to curb counterfeit medicines, prevent the 
misuse of antibiotics and stop the sale of antibiotics without prescriptions.

The day's setting was presided over by Deputy Speaker Barrister Kayser Kamal.