A High Court Division Bench of the Supreme Court on Sunday directed the government to enforce a law on safe food through issuing a gazette notification on its rules in next two months to ensure safety of public health.
The High Court bench comprising Justice Mirza Hussain Haider and Justice Muhammad Khushid Alam Sarker asked the government to make the law effective after finalising the draft of the ‘Safe Food Act, 2013’.
The bench passed the order after hearing a writ petition filed by Legal Action Bangladesh Foundation. The organisation moved the writ petition on May 21 seeking the High Court’s directive on the government to make the law effective through issuing a gazette notification.
The Safe Food Act in 2013 provides for five years of imprisonment and Taka 10 lakh fine as maximum punishment for food adulteration.
The High Court on May 26 directed the Food Secretary to submit a report on the progress about making the law effective.
The Food Secretary submitted a report to the High Court yesterday through Deputy Attorney General Al Amin Sarker. The report said that the government has prepared a draft rule on the Safe Food Act for enforcing the law.
After examining the report, the High Court gave two months time to the government to make the law effective through issuing a gazette notification.
Emerging from the Court, Deputy Attorney General Al Amin Sarker told journalists that the government has already informed the Court that the rules on the Safe Food Act is at the final stage. Now the rules are awaiting vetting from the Law Ministry.
Advocate Syed Mohidul Kabir appeared for the petitioner.
