Bangladesh Chemists and Druggists Association (BCDA) has demanded that pharmaceutical companies increase the sales commission for drug retailers by 25 percent and warned of tougher programmes if their demand is not met within 15 days.

The association’s central executive committee came up with the demand at a press conference at the Jatiya Press Club in Dhaka on Thursday.

Reading out a written statement, BCDA President Moinul Haque Chowdhury said they have already held several meetings with the Bangladesh Association of Pharmaceutical Industries and the Directorate General of Drug Administration (DGDA) regarding the demand.

“We also staged human chains across the country on May 22, 2025 to press home our logical demand, but no effective measures have been taken yet,” he said.

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Moinul said there are around five lakh drug traders in Bangladesh and they do not produce medicines themselves.

He further alleged that despite 85 years passing, the sales commission has not increased but rather decreased while neighboring countries like India and Pakistan offer commissions above 30% to their medicine retailers.

The BCDA president said, “During the Covid-19 crisis, medicine retailers risked their lives to serve patients when the entire nation was struggling. Yet, their contributions remain undervalued.”

He added that government fees and business expenses—including trade license renewal, drug license fees, pharmacy course costs, VAT, shop rent, pharmacist salary, and electricity bills—have all risen sharply.

“Given the soaring costs of living and doing business, continuing pharmacy operations under the current commission rate has become extremely difficult,” he said.