Ishwardi (Pabna) Correspondent :
Ishwardi Bazaar is now full of adulterated Miniket, Nazirshal, Banshamati and Athas rice. There are allegations that these rice are being sold freely in different shops of the market. Although buyers are constantly being deceived, no effective action is being taken. Also, according to government guidelines, marketing of rice in plastic bags is prohibited but no one is abiding by it.
On Wednesday, wholesale and retail shops in Ishwardi Bazar were visited and rice was being sold in plastic bags. The names of Miniket, Nazirshail, Basmati and Atash rice are written on the bag. The retailers said, “We bought the rice after seeing the names written on the sacks.” After the sale, the buyers came and complained that the rice was not good. Rice is thin in appearance but rice is thick. The brands of rice that have the name written on them are not actually brand rice. The cutting and sorting machine is made smooth and shiny.
According to the investigation, the owners of several unscrupulous rice mills in Joynagar Mokame of Ishwardi and Dashuria and Kushtia are supplying these rice to the market in plastic sacks filled with different names including Nazirshal, Miniket, Basmati, Athas. Several cutting and sorting mills have already been set up at Ishwardi and Kushtia. In all, unscrupulous traders are making extra profit by cutting and polishing cheap rice under various brands.
Manjur Rahman, owner of Sampad Traders in Joynagar Mokam, lamented, “We are not able to sell good rice because of their suffering.” What to do after writing all this, nothing will happen. At present 28-29 varieties of paddy are not available in the market. 23 varieties of rice are being cut and polished and marketed in 28 balls. 49 varieties have been marketed as Nazirshail by cutting and boiling. Selling Bina-7 rice as Miniket. The real rice of these brands is more expensive, so they are being released at a lower price, he said.
Sanwar Rahman Khokon, local prosecutor and upazila safe food inspector for consumer protection, admitted the fact of adulteration and fraud in rice and said that it was against sections 41 and 44 of the 2009 Consumer Rights Act. “I have already given a 15-day ultimatum after meeting the officials and traders of the rice mill owners’ association,” he added. If this is not corrected, the campaign will start from February 1. He informed the traders and mill owners that the sacks should contain seals of their own mills and genuine rice, elimination of plastic bags and purchase invoices of rice imported from Kushtia.
