Reza Mahmud :
A section of dishonest traders are selling adulterated ‘cow’ milk in vast areas of old Dhaka posing serious health risks among the residents.
On spot visit it was found that traders are selling liquid ‘milk’ carrying in plastic drums claiming that it was from their own dairy farms located other side on the bank of the river Buriganga.
They said to the customers that they are in problem due to the prevailing coronavirus situation, as no whole-sale clients are buying their milk on large quantity. So they are now selling it in retail carrying in this part of Dhaka from Keranigonj and in case, from Munshigonj.
They have said also that in the face of huge loss they are selling the milk at Tk 50 to 40 per liter.
The statements so delivered are however, partially truth.
The fact is that the dairy farms growing for long in South Keranigonj upazila of Dhaka district and the nearby Munshigonj district.
The real dairy farmers are really selling their pure milk at Tk 70-80 per liter and sometimes at Tk 60 but not lower than that.
But in case of the fake dairy farmers, they used to sell fake and adulterated milk using detergent powder, Urea fertilizer, synthetic milk powder, different chemicals and water which also is mostly unsafe.
These fake dairy farmers have swamped old Dhaka’s lanes and by-lanes and selling their adulterated product everyday.
Unconscious people are buying those for being cheated enormously.
Public Health Experts said, adulterated milk might cause severe health risks including kidney diseases, stomach pain, loose motion, even diarrhea.
They said, even it may cause abortion of pregnant women.
In Jurain, Gandaria, Sadarghat, Banglabazar and adjacent areas, those fake dairy farmers are frequently found selling milk from their plastic drums.
To make them trustworthy, they usually use to pick-up vans to carry their adulterated milk from other banks of Buriganga.
Yusuf Ahmed, a resident of DIT plot, Gandaria said they are being cheated by those fake dairy farmers.
“After drinking adulterated milk of my family members suffered from severe stomach pain and loose motion. We have searched the seller but failed. There are many more like him and doing the same business.”
He said no one should buy such cheap rated milk from those fake dairy farmers.
Sabuj Hossain, a resident of Sadarghat-Banglabazar area also expressed similar experience to The New Nation.
He said one day he found a man selling liquid milk in a nearby lane of his residence.
Asking the price Sabuj learnt that the seller was selling at Tk 50 per liter. But as their pick-up van are approaching to return to Munshigonj soon, he is giving discount price of Tk 45 per liter only.
“Getting cheap rate, I have taken three liters of those milk. But after drinking that I am suffering serious stomach problems including gastric proble and pain. I suffered for seven days,” Sabuj said.
He said that later he searched for the man on the lane and nearby lanes but failed.
Sultana Begum, a housewife of Jurain-Postogola area said her husband bought raw milk from such a seller but it was not tasty unlike cow milk.
“It was not like cow milk; especially its taste was not like milk but slid bitter or sour. Finally we drained those so-called milk. My husband said he would never buy such cheap rated milk,” Sultana said.
Both Yusuf Ahmed and Sabuj Hossain urged the law enforcers and other government agencies’ emergency step to stop such adulterating milk selling and punish those behind this unethical business.
