Staff Reporter :
The High Court (HC) on Sunday requested the government to declare a war against adulteration of food like that of anti-drug drive. If necessary, an emergency may be declared to prevent food adulteration, the court said in its observation while passing an order in this respect.
The court said that this is not an issue to compromise with and should be considered as the number one priority of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, her government and her party Awami League.
There should not be any compromise and tolerance regarding food safety, the court said.
The drive against adulteration of food should not be limited in the month of Ramzan, rather it should continue throughout the year, it said.
The court also requested the government to ensure that pure drinking water is supplied to people.
The HC bench of Justice Sheikh Hassan Arif and Justice Razik-Al-Jalil passed these observations while passing an order after hearing a writ petition filed seeking its directive on the government to seize or withdraw 52 substandard food products from markets all over the country.
Justice Sheik Hassan Arif said, “We are urging the government and the chief of the government to declare a war against the adulteration of food like that of anti-drug drive. If necessary, an emergency may be declared to prevent food adulteration.”
BSTI, Bangladesh Food Safety Authority (BFSA) and the Directorate of National Consumer Rights Protection have been asked to take necessary measures to this effect.
In response to a writ petition filed by Conscious Consumers Society (CCS), the HC bench ordered Bangladesh Food Safety Authority and Directorate of National Consumer Rights Protection to submit a report before this court in 10 days after complying with the order. Barrister Shihab Uddin Khan argued for the writ petitioner. On May 9, 2019, Conscious Consumers Society, a rights organization, filed the writ petition with the HC as it did not get any reply to its legal notice served on May 6 for seizing or withdrawing the substandard food products from the markets all over the country. The rights group on May 6 served a legal notice to the authorities concerned asking them to seize or withdraw the substandard food products from markets within 24 hours.
Barrister Shihab Uddin Khan sent the legal notice on behalf of CCS. He also requested the BSTI to take legal action against companies producing the substandard items within 24 hours.
Barrister Shihab Uddin Khan said that according to media reports on May 3-4, BSTI recently tested 406 food samples of 27 types. “They’ve published results of 313 products and among them, samples from 52 manufacturers were found to be substandard and adulterated,” he said.
Shihab said that since no step to seize and remove these products from the market was taken, the CCS sent legal notice to two Secretaries of different Ministries and owners of two companies on May 6.
“As they took no steps even after receiving the legal notice, we filed the writ petition,” the lawyer said.
Addressing the court, Shihab said, “I, you (judges) and our children are taking these adulterated products.”
The 52 substandard food products include Teer Sarishar (Mustard) Tel (Oil) of City Oil Mill; GB Sarishar Tel of Green Blessings Vegetables Oil Industries Limited; Pusti Mustard Oil of Shabnam Vegetables Oil Industries Limited; Rupchanda Mustard Oil of Bangladesh Edible Oil Limited; Sun Chips of Kashem Food Products Limited; Ara Drinking Water of Arra Food and Beverage Limited; Al Safi Drinking Water of Al Safi Drinking Water; Mizan Drinking Water of Shahari and Brothers; Morn Dew Drinking Water of Morn Dew Pure Drinking Water; Duncan Natural Mineral Water of Duncan Products Limited; RR View Drinking Water of RR View Purified Drinking Water; Dighee Drinking Water of Dighee Drinking Water; Pran Lachchha Seemai (vermicelli) of Pran Agro Limited; Dudli Noodles of New Zealand Dairy Products BD Limited; Testy, Tani, Taskia Soft Drink Powder of Shanta Products; Priya Soft Drink Powder of Jahangir Food Product; Danish Holuder Gura of Danish Food Limited; Pran Holuder Gura of Pran Agro Limited; Fresh Holuder Gura of Tanvir Food Limited; ACI Pure Dhaniar Gura of ACI Food Limited; Pran Curry Powder of Pran Agro Limited; Danish Curry Powder of Danish Food Limited; Banolata Ghee of Banolata Sweets and Bakery; Pure Hathazari Maricher Gura of SS Consumer Products; Mistimela Lachchha Seemai of Mistimela Food Products; Madhuban Lachchha Seemai of Madhuban Bread and Biscuits Industries Private Limited; Mithai Lachchha Seemai of Mithai Sweets and Bakery; Oil Food Lachchha Seemai of Oil Food and Beverage Company; ACI Aydinjukta Laban of ACI Salt Limited; Mollah Solt Aydinjukta Laban of Mollah Salt Industries; King Maida of KR Food Industries Limited; Rupsha Fermented Milk (Dai) of Rupsha Food Products; Makka Chanachur of Tayeba Food Products; Mehedi Biscuit of Imtiaz Bread and Food Products; Baghabari Special Ghee of Baghabari Special Ghee Company; Suji of M/S Nishita Foods; Lachchha Seemai of M/S Madhuban and Products; Holuder Gura of M/S Manzil Food and Products; Madhumoti Aydinjukta Laban of Madhumoti Salt Industries; Sun Holuder Gura of Sun Food; Greenlane Madhu of Greenlane Milk Product; Kiran Lachchha Seemai of M/S Kiran Products; Dolphin Maricher Gura and Dolphin Holuder Gura of M/S Abbas Ali Mudi Dokan; Surya Maricher Gura of M/S Rakib Store; Jedda Lachchha Seemai of M/S Jedda Food Industries; Amrita Lachchha Seemai of M/S Amrita Food Products; Dada Supar Aydinjukta Laban of M/S New Jhalakathi Salt Mills; Tin Teer Aydinjukta Laban of M/S Quality Salt Industries; Madina, Star Ship Aydinjukta Laban of M/S Lucky Salt Industries; Taj Aydinjukta Laban of M/S Taj Salt Industries and Nur Special Aydinjukta Laban of M/S Nur Salt Industries, according to the writ petition.
