The High Court on Sunday issued directive to the proper authorities to remove 52 food items from the market immediately as these local brands failed to ensure quality tests of Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI). The HC bench of Justice Sheikh Hassan Arif and Justice Razik-Al-Jalilgave the directive after hearing a writ petition filed by Palash Mahmud, executive director of Conscious Consumer Society (CCS) in the form of public interest litigation.
The HC also ordered the Bangladesh Food Safety Authority (BFSA) and Directorate of National Consumers' Right Protection to comply with the order and submit a report within 10 days.
It also ordered stopping production and marketing of those products until their quality is improved. Barrister Shihab Uddin Khan stood for the petitioner, Faridul Islam for BFSA, and Barrister M R Hasan for BSTI. Shihab Uddin Khan said, “While passing the order, the HC ordered to remove 52 food items from the market within 10 days. HC also requested the government and the prime minister to declare a war against adulteration of food like that of anti-drug drive.”
The drive against adulteration of food should not be limited in the month of Ramadan, rather it should continue throughout the year, the court said.
The court fixed May 23 for passing further order on this issue.
Earlier on May 9, the High Court asked an official of BSTI and BFSA each to appear before it on Sunday to explain their stance over the issue. According to media reports published on May 3-4, BSTI recently collected 406 food samples of 27 types. According to BSTI report, On the occasion of holy month of Ramadan, samples of 406 products were collected from the local market and tested at BSTI laboratory.
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BSTI published results of 313 products and among them, samples from 52 manufacturers were found to be substandard and adulterated. The 52 substandard food products include Teer Mustard Oil of City Oil Mill; GB Mustard Oil of Green Blessings Vegetables Oil Industries Limited; Pusti Mustard Oil of Shabnam Vegetables Oil Industries Limited; Rupchanda Mustard Oil of Bangladesh Edible Oil Limited; Sun Chips of Kashem Food Products Limited; Ara Drinking Water of Arra Food and Beverage Limited; Al Safi Drinking Water; Mizan Drinking Water of Shahari and Brothers; Morn Dew Drinking Water of Morn Dew Pure Drinking Water and Duncan Natural Mineral Water of Duncan Products Limited.
Besides, RR View Drinking Water of RR View Purified Drinking Water; Dighee Drinking Water of Dighee Drinking Water; Pran Lachchha Seemai (vermicelli) of Pran Agro Limited; Dudli Noodles of New Zealand Dairy Products BD Limited; Testy, Tani, Taskia Soft Drink Powder of Shanta Products; Priya Soft Drink Powder of Jahangir Food Products; Danish Holuder Gura of Danish Food Limited and Pran turmeric powder of Pran Agro Limited have also been asked to remove from the market.
Apart from these food products, the HC also asked the authorities concerned to remove Fresh turmeric powder of Tanvir Food Limited; ACI Pure coriander powder (DhaniarGura) of ACI Food Limited; Pran Curry Powder of Pran Agro Limited; Danish Curry Powder of Danish Food Limited; Banolata Ghee of Banolata Sweets and Bakery; Pure Hathazari chili powder (MaricherGura)of SS Consumer Products; Mistimela Lachchha Seemai of Mistimela Food Products; Madhuban Lachchha Seemai of Madhuban Bread and Biscuits Industries Private Limited;
Mithai Lachchha Seemai of Mithai Sweets and Bakery; Oil Food Lachchha Seemai of Oil Food and Beverage Company; ACI Iodinjukta Laban of ACI Salt Limited; Mollah Salt Iodinjukta Laban of Mollah Salt Industries; King Moida of KR Food Industries Limited; Rupsha Fermented Milk (Dai) of Rupsha Food Products; Makka Chanachur of Tayeba Food Products; Mehedi Biscuit of Imtiaz Bread and Food Products; Baghabari Special Ghee of Baghabari Special Ghee Company; Suji of M/S Nishita Foods; Lachchha Seemai of M/S Madhuban and Products;
turmeric powder of M/S Manzil Food and Products; Madhumoti Iodinjukta Laban of Madhumoti Salt Industries; Sun Holuder Gura of Sun Food; Greenlane Madhu of Greenlane Milk Product, Kiran Lachchha Seemai of M/S Kiran Products; Dolphin chili powder and Dolphin turmeric powder of M/S Abbas Ali MudiDokan; Surya chili powder of M/S Rakib Store; Jedda Lachchha Seemai of M/S Jedda Food Industries; Amrita Lachchha Seemai of M/S Amrita Food Products; Dada Supar Iodinjukta Laban of M/S New Jhalakathi Salt Mills; Tin Teer Iodinjukta Laban of M/S Quality Salt Industries; Madina, Star Ship Iodinjukta Laban of M/S Lucky Salt Industries; Taj Iodinjukta Laban of M/S Taj Salt Industries and Nur Special Iodinjukta Laban of M/S Nur Salt Industries.
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