Pharmacy owners in Hazarigoli and Bahaddarhat of Chittagong city observed a strike yesterday protesting Sunday's mobile court drives in pharmacies.

On Sunday, a mobile court fined nine pharmacies a total of Tk 7.5 lakh at Chandgaon for selling “expired” and “unauthorised” medicines, read a press release of Rapid Action Battalion (Rab)-7.

However, Nurul Goni, vice president of Chittagong district union of Chemists and Druggists Association, said the penalties were imposed “illogically” as none of the medicines was expired.

Rather, the pharmacies at Bahaddarhat Haque Market were fined for selling physicians' samples which the pharmaceutical companies manufacture in a large number to evade tax and later their representatives compel the pharmacy owners to buy those. Therefore, the penalty should be imposed on the manufacturer companies, he added.