The High Court will hear a writ petition on Monday seeking directives to keep schools across the country closed until the measles outbreak subsides, lawyers said.
A bench comprising Justice Rajik-Al-Jalil and Justice Debasish Roy Chowdhury fixed the date on Sunday, with Purnima Jahan appearing for the petitioner.
The writ petition was filed on 2 April, also seeking the formation of a high-level investigation committee into the deaths of 47 children from measles in the country recently.
The petition requests that the court direct the respondents to submit a comprehensive report detailing the number of deaths, the scale of infection, vaccination rates, vaccine availability, and measures taken. It also seeks a full and independent investigation into the reasons for the failure to ensure vaccination coverage, vaccine shortages, and delays in preventive measures.
The writ further states that the failure to ensure timely vaccination, vaccine availability, and deficiencies in healthcare facilities and emergency response constitute violations of Articles 27, 31, and 32 of the Constitution.
It seeks directives for the respondents to immediately adopt an emergency measles vaccination programme nationwide and ensure adequate and uninterrupted supply of vaccines, syringes, and necessary logistics.
The petition argues that despite the ongoing outbreak, the failure to take immediate preventive measures, including controlling contact in schools, constitutes reckless neglect of public safety and creates imminent risk to life.
Earlier on April 1, a legal notice was sent to the Health Minister, the Health Secretary, and the Director General of the Directorate General of Health Services to arrange measles vaccines for children within 24 hours.
Human rights activist and Supreme Court lawyer Eklach Uddin Bhuiyan sent the notice, stating that children have been dying from measles due to a vaccine shortage and that many affected children are undergoing treatment in hospitals while authorities take no action.
