A National Citizens Party (NCP) leader in Faridpur has been sentenced to six months in prison and fined Tk10,000 after authorities found an allegedly illegal 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 by a mobile court following a raid on his factory, Messrs Janata Laboratories, in the Goalchamot area of Faridpur city.
Shahed is a resident of Alfadanga upazila but currently lives in the Goalchamot area. The mobile court imposed both the prison sentence and the financial penalty after the raid uncovered the products being manufactured at the facility.
Insana Tanzin Iko, executive magistrate at the district administration and judge of the mobile court, said the operation was conducted on Tuesday night. Following the proceedings, Shahed was sent to Faridpur District Jail to serve his sentence.
According to the mobile court, the factory had allegedly been operating illegally since September 2022. Investigators found that it was being used to manufacture baby gel for children, various types of sexual stimulant products and a large quantity of Ayurvedic medicines.
A substantial amount of medicines and other materials was recovered and seized during the operation. Authorities said the action was taken over alleged violations of relevant provisions of the Essential Commodities Control Act.
The case has also drawn attention because of Shahed’s position within the NCP’s district leadership. His party colleagues said membership of the organisation would not prevent action if a member was found to have violated the law.
Saif Hasan Khan, member secretary of the NCP’s Faridpur district committee, said the party would not compromise over wrongdoing. He said the organisation would investigate the matter and take disciplinary action if Shahed was found to have committed wrongdoing. The findings would also be reported to the party’s central leadership.
The authorities did not immediately provide further details about the scale of production, the distribution network of the products or whether the seized medicines had reached consumers. The mobile court, however, confirmed that a large quantity of products was recovered from the premises.
The action highlights the regulatory concerns surrounding the unauthorised manufacture of medicines and other health-related products. Such products are subject to legal and regulatory requirements intended to govern their production and sale, making enforcement action significant when authorities identify alleged violations.
