Around two lakh people are being infected with deadly diseases every year due to food adulteration, according to experts at a discussion on Saturday. “There are around 25 lakh cancer patients now in Bangladesh with two lakh people being affected by the disease every year,” Zubair Abdullah, a cancer specialist said at the seminar.
Conscious Consumer Society (CCS) organised the seminar on ‘Consumer Rights and Safe Food: Problem and Way Out’ held at CIRDAP auditorium in the city. The experts said there are 50 lakh restaurants in the country, but most of the food shops are not maintaining the rules and regulations.
Besides, over one crore staff and workers are engaged in running the restaurant business, but it is very unfortunate that most of them do not have minimum training or idea about food safety. These staff and workers do not even know how they are spreading various diseases as they always serve food in an unhygienic condition under the very nose of the authority concerned.
The experts also urged the government to constitute a separate directorate which will oversee the overall food safety issue strictly. “This directorate will be free from the concerned ministries. If the directorate can work independently, the food adulteration and unhygienic condition of restaurants will go away. As a result, the consumers’ rights will be ensured,” Mohammad Ibrahim, Managing Director, Superstar Group said.
Syeda Rizwanna Hasan, Chief Executive, BELA, urged owners of super shops like Agora and Sapno to not only do business to get profit, but also work for humanity. “Apart from the owners of super shops, the government will also have to take the responsibility on its shoulder,” she said.
Shamima Shariwar, ruling party lawmaker, said, it is not possible for the government alone to ensure food safety in the country. “Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina-led Awami League government is working hard to ensure food safety. The government is on the hard line against those who are involved in adulterating food,” she said.
Among others, former advisor to the caretaker government Dr Hossain Zillur Rahman, chief executive of BELA, Syeda Rizwana Hasan, director of PRAN Group, Kamruzzaman Kamal, and director of ACI consumer Brand, Quamrul Hasan were also present at the programme.
