ABSTRACT
This chapter presents the case study which examines changes in the pharmaceutical industry in Bangladesh and the goals of the Bangladeshi state to increase its footprint in the global marketplace, especially as it relates to traditional medical systems. In Bangladesh, the national and international focus on pharmaceuticals influenced the production and regulation of traditional herbal medicines used in Ayurvedic and Unani medical systems. Many traditional medical practices, including Ayurveda and Unani, which are healing practices indigenous to South Asia, were professionalized and institutionalized in South Asia during British colonial rule. The development of national drug policies in Bangladesh coincided with global priorities to use pharmaceuticals to treat health, as represented by international institutions like World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Trade Organization (WTO). The success of allopathic pharmaceutical manufacturing in Bangladesh is due in part to the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS).
