April 23, 2026
DHAKA – Prime Minister Tarique Rahman told parliament today that the country is facing a shortage of measles testing kits and that vaccine imports had been halted for years under previous governments.
He said measles vaccines for children had not been imported for several years under the Sheikh Hasina-led autocratic government and the interim administration headed by Prof Muhammad Yunus.
During the question-answer hour in parliament, the PM said some kits have arrived and steps are being taken to release those currently held at customs.
The Leader of the House made the remarks while responding to a supplementary question from Salah Uddin, Jamaat-e-Islami MP from Gazipur-4.
In his question, Salah Uddin said the issue is now a “crucial question” for the health sector. He said that in Chattogram, the country’s only infectious disease treatment centre and specialised institute, as well as most other facilities, measles detection systems have been shut down.
As a result, samples are being sent from different institutes and hospitals to the National Polio and Rubella Laboratory at the Public Health Centre in Dhaka. This means patients must wait for diagnosis even after vaccines are available.
In reply, the prime minister said all political parties — in and outside parliament — worked together to remove an autocratic regime from the country.
“The sad reality is what happened during that autocratic period. Even more unfortunate is that the interim government we supported, hoping it would ensure a fair and neutral election, failed in a crucial responsibility. During its tenure, measles vaccines for children were not imported,” he said.
“Naturally, when this crisis emerged, we had to act quickly,” he said, adding that Unicef provided support by sending measles vaccines on an urgent basis.
“As a result, we were able to vaccinate nearly two crore children.
“Many kits have already arrived. One kit can be used to test three children. Some kits are stuck at customs at the Dhaka airport, and we are taking steps to release them quickly,” Tarique added.
“Tragically, many children have already lost their lives. But going forward, the government is making every effort to manage this situation and has taken necessary measures,” the prime minister said.