Tareen Rahman :
‘Bahari’ is the brand name under which low quality and dangerous mosquito coils are being sold in Bangladesh. Well defined guidelines regarding the production and use of mosquito coils in Bangladesh are not followed by dishonest businessmen. Bangladesh Standards And Testing Institution (BSTI) does not approve the use of these coils as these contain poisonous chemicals beyond limits.
These harmful and unregistered mosquito coils are sold openly every day in shops although the knowledgeable opinion of health experts is against their use. Research shows that the chemicals present in one mosquito coil poses harm in the human body equivalent to the nicotine present in 137 cigarettes.
The businessmen are selling these low quality mosquito coils in the hope of making more profit and the buyers are complaining that they are buying these coils because they are not aware of the low quality of these products. Members of the public are purchasing these harmful coils every day in Bangladesh as they are unaware of the dangerous chemicals entering their body through these coils.
When we spoke to one buyer, he expressed his frustrations to us. ‘ We do not know which is more harmful, mosquito or these coils’, he complained.
One shopkeeper appeared both boastful and negligent about selling low quality products to the public. He told our correspondent , ‘ We do not judge which is real and which is unreal. We buy whatever the company gives us. Besides, coils approved by BSTI is not very profitable. We sell ‘ Bahari’ coils for more profit.’
The coils are sold under the banner of impressive advertisements and the guarantee of permanent relief from mosquito bites, yet they have no company name or registration number on their packets. The government is, thus,loosing revenue.
Syed Alamgir Hossain, acting Director of ACI Limited commented, ‘ We cannot go beyond the legal boundaries. So, we are suffering.’
On the other hand, health experts are saying, ‘ As mosquito coils have tolerable range of chemicals, the possibility of harm from them is less. However, most companies are not following guidelines and are using excess amount of harmful and toxic chemicals which is causing many complicated diseases.’
Professor AKM Mosharraf Hossain, Respiratory Medicine Specialist of BSMMU, said.
‘Bahari’ is the brand name under which low quality and dangerous mosquito coils are being sold in Bangladesh. Well defined guidelines regarding the production and use of mosquito coils in Bangladesh are not followed by dishonest businessmen. Bangladesh Standards And Testing Institution (BSTI) does not approve the use of these coils as these contain poisonous chemicals beyond limits.
These harmful and unregistered mosquito coils are sold openly every day in shops although the knowledgeable opinion of health experts is against their use. Research shows that the chemicals present in one mosquito coil poses harm in the human body equivalent to the nicotine present in 137 cigarettes.
The businessmen are selling these low quality mosquito coils in the hope of making more profit and the buyers are complaining that they are buying these coils because they are not aware of the low quality of these products. Members of the public are purchasing these harmful coils every day in Bangladesh as they are unaware of the dangerous chemicals entering their body through these coils.
When we spoke to one buyer, he expressed his frustrations to us. ‘ We do not know which is more harmful, mosquito or these coils’, he complained.
One shopkeeper appeared both boastful and negligent about selling low quality products to the public. He told our correspondent , ‘ We do not judge which is real and which is unreal. We buy whatever the company gives us. Besides, coils approved by BSTI is not very profitable. We sell ‘ Bahari’ coils for more profit.’
The coils are sold under the banner of impressive advertisements and the guarantee of permanent relief from mosquito bites, yet they have no company name or registration number on their packets. The government is, thus,loosing revenue.
Syed Alamgir Hossain, acting Director of ACI Limited commented, ‘ We cannot go beyond the legal boundaries. So, we are suffering.’
On the other hand, health experts are saying, ‘ As mosquito coils have tolerable range of chemicals, the possibility of harm from them is less. However, most companies are not following guidelines and are using excess amount of harmful and toxic chemicals which is causing many complicated diseases.’
Professor AKM Mosharraf Hossain, Respiratory Medicine Specialist of BSMMU, said.
