The Bangladesh Ayurvedic Medicine Manufacturers Association (BAMMA) has said that they would soon approach the ministry of Ayush in New Delhi with projects for developing Ayurveda and other traditional treatment systems in that country.

This decision of BAMMA is in the wake of the memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed between India and Bangladesh in Dhaka in September last year for co-operation in the field of traditional systems of medicine and homoeopathy between the two countries. The association has requested the Bangladesh government for permission to go ahead with its plan as per the MoU.

Conveying this message to Pharmabiz while participating at the Pharma Tech Expo and IPA Conclave at Indore in Madhya Pradesh, the vice president of BAMMA, Dr. Prafulla Ranjan Sinha said that soon the government of his country will have collaboration with the ministry of Ayush in India in implementing projects for development of traditional medicines. He said the acceptance of Ayurveda in the neighbouring country is increasing day by day.

He pointed out that although there is a large number of manufacturers of Ayurveda medicines in Bangladesh, most of the companies depend on Indian cultivators of medicinal plants for their raw material requirements. Seventy per cent of the raw materials are imported from Indian farmers. However, the local manufacturers have now started to cultivate medicinal plants and herbs and the government is allotting land to the farmers engaged in cultivation.

“Our country has good acceptance for Ayurveda system and I see good future for it in Bangladesh. Even today about 70 per cent of the raw materials are imported to our country from India. About 45 per cent of the people are following Ayurveda system there. Government support for the promotion of Ayurveda and Unani is very high,” he said.

Even though there are reports of fake practitioners in certain villages, almost all the hospitals are run by qualified doctors. However, there are indigenous practitioners who claim hereditary of practice. Recently, the Board of Ayurveda, Unani and Homoeopathy Systems of Medicine, which controls the practice of traditional systems, has started one year short term course for them and issues B-category certificate permitting them to continue to practice. They are also permitted to manufacture the drugs for their patients, but not for commercial sale, Dr Sinha said.

When asked about the enforcement authority there, he said both allopathy and Ayush pharmacies and manufacturing companies are inspected by same drug inspectors. There are no separate drug inspectors for Ayush sector.

To another query, he said the allopathic doctors in Bangladesh prescribe several Ayurveda drugs for diseases to their patients.

According to him, in Bangladesh nobody is practising Siddha system and the people are unaware of it. Second to Ayurveda, the people are following Unani medications. Homoeopathy is a separate wing under Ayush.

Talking about educational institutions in that country, he said that there are 9 private sector Ayurveda colleges and 14 Unani colleges conducting degree and PG programmes. Whereas, in the government sector, only one college is for both Ayurveda and Unani.