The four-day 'Asia Pharma Expo-2005,' inaugurated by the Bangladesh Prime Minister Khaleda Zia at Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Centre in Dhaka, has concluded successfully.

In the inaugural function, PM announced that the government considers setting up a separate industrial park for production of raw materials for pharma companies.

Inaugurating the function she said, "Globalisation has opened the door of new possibilities for our pharmaceutical industry. As a member of least developed country group, Bangladesh will be able produce and sell patent drugs until 2016. This opportunity must be utilised fully."

Setting up of a separate quality control laboratory to ensure unhindered export of pharmaceutical products is under consideration of the government, she said and directed the ministry concerned to take necessary steps to this end.

She also directed the authorities concerned to form an inter-ministerial taskforce to check counterfeit, adulteration and low standard of medicines.

Health and family welfare minister Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain and state minister for health Mizanur Rahman Sinha also addressed the opening ceremony chaired by Bangladesh Association of Pharmaceutical Industries (BAPI) president SM Shafiuzzaman.

A total of 252 pharmaceutical firms from 20 countries, including the UK, USA, Germany, Japan, Italy, China, Vietnam and host Bangladesh participated in the exhibition, second of its kind in Dhaka. Besides pharmaceutical products, packaging machinery and pharmaceutical services were also on display in the exposition.

Aimed at technological advancement of the country's pharmaceutical industries and expanding export market of Bangladeshi pharmaceutical products, the fair also included technical seminars, officials informed here.