UNB, Dhaka :
The High Court on Sunday asked the government to constitute ‘Safe Food Authority’ and ‘Central Safe Food Management Coordination Council’ within three months to ensure safe food for all citizens of the country.
An HC bench comprising Justice Mirza Hussain Haider and Justice M Ataur Rahman also directed the government to make effective in three months the Safe Food Act 2013 by issuing a gazette notification.
The court came up with the orders after hearing a progress report submitted by the government in compliance with its earlier directives issued following a public interest litigation
writ petition. Advocate Syed Mohidul Kabir who appeared for the writ petitioner told reporters that the court asked the government to implement sections 1, 2, 7 and 15 of the Safe Food Act within three months.
The Section 7(1) stipulates that the Safe Food Authority will be established comprising a chairman and four members while section 15 states that the Central Safe Food Management Coordination Council will be constituted with 28 representatives of different ministries.
On May 21, Legal Action Bangladesh Foundation (LABF) filed the writ petition seeking HC directives on the government to take necessary measures to ensure safe food for all citizens of the country as the enactment of the law has yet to come into effect for not issuing the gazette notification. On May 26, the High Court issued a rule asking the government to explain why directives should not be given for publishing a gazette notification for implementation of the Safe Food Act 2013.
Issuing the rule, the HC had also asked the Food Secretary to submit a progress report over the matter by June 16.
In the progress report submitted to the court on November 9, the government said rules for implementation of the Food Act have been formulated. Deputy attorney general Al Amin Sarker represented the state.
The High Court on Sunday asked the government to constitute ‘Safe Food Authority’ and ‘Central Safe Food Management Coordination Council’ within three months to ensure safe food for all citizens of the country.
An HC bench comprising Justice Mirza Hussain Haider and Justice M Ataur Rahman also directed the government to make effective in three months the Safe Food Act 2013 by issuing a gazette notification.
The court came up with the orders after hearing a progress report submitted by the government in compliance with its earlier directives issued following a public interest litigation
writ petition. Advocate Syed Mohidul Kabir who appeared for the writ petitioner told reporters that the court asked the government to implement sections 1, 2, 7 and 15 of the Safe Food Act within three months.
The Section 7(1) stipulates that the Safe Food Authority will be established comprising a chairman and four members while section 15 states that the Central Safe Food Management Coordination Council will be constituted with 28 representatives of different ministries.
On May 21, Legal Action Bangladesh Foundation (LABF) filed the writ petition seeking HC directives on the government to take necessary measures to ensure safe food for all citizens of the country as the enactment of the law has yet to come into effect for not issuing the gazette notification. On May 26, the High Court issued a rule asking the government to explain why directives should not be given for publishing a gazette notification for implementation of the Safe Food Act 2013.
Issuing the rule, the HC had also asked the Food Secretary to submit a progress report over the matter by June 16.
In the progress report submitted to the court on November 9, the government said rules for implementation of the Food Act have been formulated. Deputy attorney general Al Amin Sarker represented the state.
