Food Minister Advocate Quamrul Islam called upon all to create awareness from their respective positions about the formalin menace and to help government to check its misuse.
“We’ll not get rid of formalin if we’re not aware of this hazardous chemical” Islam told a rally at Keraniganj Upazila Parishad premises.
The rally marked the National Fisheries Week-2014 that began on Wednesday.
UNO Abul Bashar M Fakhruzzaman presided over the function while upazila fisheries officer Syed M Alamgir, Upazila vice-chairmen Ruhul Amin and Shabera Begum, upazila family planning officer Dr M Shahidul Islam and Awami League leader Fazlul Haque Tinku spoke on the occasion.
Quamrul Islam said the government has already launched a strong drive against formalin considering the interest of the common people.
A law on hazardous chemicals would soon be passed in the parliament, he hoped.
Citing examples of success stories in the fisheries sector, the minister said fisheries are now exported in large-scale meeting local demand.
He looked back to 1973 when Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman introduced the week with the slogan ‘Machhe Vathe Bangali’, saying that it was unfortunate the country did not observe the week after the assassination of Bangabandhu. Later, he said, the present government under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina re-introduced the week in 1996. The government is also expanding fish cultivation after recovering the abandoned water bodies in the country, said the food minister.
