State Minister for Health and Family Welfare Dr M A Muhit today addressed a stakeholder consultation meeting held in Dhaka. Photo: BSS

DHAKA, May 11, 2026 (BSS) - State Minister for Health and Family Welfare Dr M A Muhit today called upon pharmaceutical company owners and relevant stakeholders to ensure sustainable development of the country's drug industry while keeping prices within the purchasing capacity of ordinary people.

"While protecting the interests of the industry is important, medicine prices cannot be increased at will, putting the people in trouble," he told a stakeholder consultation meeting titled "Strengthening Health Sector Capacity through Private Sector Engagement" at a city hotel.

Health Services Division and the World Bank jointly organized the event.

Emphasising a balanced policy on drug pricing, Muhit said, "It is not right to keep medicine prices frozen for years while other costs rise. At the same time, we do not want a policy where prices can be increased whenever desired. Our main goal is to maintain a balance so that neither the people nor the government is affected," he said.

He added that the government is committed to ensuring proper healthcare services and life-saving medicines for citizens. 

Reflecting on the current state of the health sector, the adviser said the government has been in office for only two and a half months following a long public movement and "mass uprising," and expectations from people are very high.

However, he said the health sector is currently in a fragile condition. "We have found that many areas of the health sector are in a broken state," he said.

Highlighting the condition of hospitals, he said many facilities have not received basic maintenance for the past five to seven years. 

"Some hospitals have buildings but no equipment, while others face shortages of medicines. We are working under this huge challenge, and global difficulties have added further pressure," he added.

Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) director general Professor Dr. Pravath Chandra Biswas, senior officials of the ministry, representatives from the private health sector and pharmaceutical industry leaders were present at the event.