Staff Reporter :
The Supreme Court (SC) on Tuesday cleared the way for Akij Food and Beverage Limited (Farm Fresh Milk) and Pran Dairy Limited (Pran Milk) to produce, distribute and sell of their pasteurized milk.
The Chamber Judge of the Supreme Court Justice Md Nuruzzaman stayed for five weeks a part of the High Court order that directed the two milk producing companies and 12 others to stop production, distribution and sell of pasteurized milk for five weeks.
The Chamber Judge passed the order after hearing two separate petitions filed by the two companies seeking stay on those parts of the HC order.
The court also asked the two companies to file separate petitions with this court challenging the HC order in five weeks.
Attorney General Mahbubey Alam, who appeared for the two companies as an individual lawyer, said that the level of lead and antibiotics in the pasteurized milk of Akij Food and Beverage Ltd (Farm Fresh Milk) and Pran Dairy Ltd (Pran Milk) did not cross the danger level.
Following the SC order, there is no bar for the two companies to produce, distribute and sell their pasteurized milk, the AG added.
Earlier on Monday, the SC’s Chamber Judge cleared the way for Bangladesh Milk Producers Cooperative Union Limited (Milk Vita), a state brand milk producing company, to produce, distribute and sell pasteurized milk.
The court stayed for eight weeks part of the HC order that directed Milk Vita to stop production, distribution and sell of pasteurized milk for five weeks.
The Chamber Judge passed the order following a petition filed by Milk Vita challenging that part of the HC order.
On July 28, the High Court directed the authorities concerned to stop production, distribution, sale, purchase and consumption of pasteurized milk of 14 companies, including Farm Fresh, Pran Milk, registered under the Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI) for the next five weeks owing to presence of antibiotics and lead in the milk, which are harmful for human body.
At the same time, the members of the public have been advised to be vigilant in the purchase and consumption of pasteurized milk.
The HC also asked the government and the 14 milk-producing companies to submit a report to the court on August 25 after complying with the order.
The HC also issued a rule asking them to explain as to why the presence of antibiotics and lead in the pasteurized milk should not be declared illegal and unconstitutional.
The HC Bench of Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed and Justice Md Iqbal Kabir passed the order and issued the rule after hearing on a writ petition filed by Supreme Court lawyer Tanzir Ahmed seeking necessary order in this regard.
The court also heard on four separate laboratory reports prepared by the Institute of Public Health (IPH), ICDDR’B, Feed and Food Safety Laboratory under the Institute of Bangladesh Livestock and Research Institute (BLRI) and Bangladesh Council for Scientific and Industrial Research on the pasteurized milk produced by all the 14 companies registered by BSTI.
