Health Minister Zahid Maleque On Wednesday said that licences of 45 drug (allopathic) companies have been canceled between 2009 and 2023.

The health minister said this in Parliament while replying to a question of ruling Awami League MP elected from Chattogram Didarul Alam.

The minister said that the number of reported HIV patients in Bangladesh are 9,708. Among them, 6,075 people are under treatment and 1,820 people have died.

Also read: Children aged 6-59 months to be given vitamin A plus capsules on June 18: Health Minister

In response to a question of AL MP elected from Manikganj Momtaz Begum, State Minister for Shipping Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury said that a comprehensive draft list of grabbers of rivers across the country has already been prepared and the district-wise list of grabbers has been published on the website of the National River Conservation Commission. Identity of over 50,000 grabbers of rivers have been revealed there.

He said that many rivers have been freed from encroachment by evicting a significant number of illegal encroachers from various rivers including Buriganga and Shitalakhya.

Also read: Dengue cases five times higher than last year: Health Minister

"Eviction of the rest of the illegal grabbers is in progress. So far, the information of eviction of more than 15,000 illegal occupants has been sent to the NRCC by the Deputy Commissioners."

The minister also said that the process of preparing the list of illegal encroachers along the river and the progress list regarding eviction is in the final stage.

Also read: Rate of C-section deliveries close to 80% in pvt hospitals: Health Minister