A court on Sunday dismissed an application seeking to file a case against former chief adviser of the interim government Dr Muhammad Yunus, former health adviser Nur Jahan Begum, and two others over allegations of negligence resulting in the deaths of children during the recent measles outbreak.

The court of Dhaka Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Jashita Islam passed the order, saying there were insufficient grounds to take cognisance of the case.

Confirming the order, State Prosecutor Shamsuddoha Sumon said, “As there were no specific allegations sufficient to take cognisance of the case, the court dismissed the application.”

The application also accused former Director General of the Directorate General of Health Services Dr Md Abu Jafar, and former Press Secretary to the Chief Adviser Shafiqul Alam. 

Sirajul Islam, father of nine-month-old Sauda Muskan, who died of measles, had filed the case application with the court as the complainant on July 5.

On the same day, the court recorded the complainant's statement and fixed July 12 for the order. 

According to the case documents, in late February and early March this year, nine-month-old Sauda Muskan of Shariatpur Sadar suddenly developed a severe fever. 

As local treatment proved ineffective, the child was admitted to Dhaka Medical College Hospital in the first week of March. 

As she did not receive the necessary support for measles treatment there, she was transferred to the Infectious Diseases Hospital in Mohakhali on March 22. 

Alleging non-cooperation and negligence in treatment by the hospital's doctors and nurses, the application states that on March 26, the complainant's wife was handed an oxygen cylinder and told to apply it to the child. 

When the child's mother failed to do so, the attending physician instructed a sweeper to place it on the child's face. 

About two hours later, the child died. 

The complaint further alleges that more than 600 children, including Sauda Muskan, died in the country due to the unavailability of vaccines on time, the hospital authorities' failure to take appropriate measures, and the interim government's gross negligence and carelessness in procuring and administering vaccines. 

The complaint also stated that these actions constituted violations of the state's constitutional duty to protect public health and life, abuse of power, negligence, and failure to discharge legal responsibilities.

The petition came less than a month after another complaint was filed on June 8 against five individuals, including Yunus and Nurjahan Begum, over alleged failures in responding to the measles outbreak. 

That petition was also dismissed by the court.