UNB, Kushtia :
Fourteen truckloads of ‘substandard’ wheat imported from Brazil could not be stored at Kumarkhali godown on Saturday due to obstruction by a local MP.
Witnesses said when the wheat, brought from Khulna divisional food godown, was being unloaded from trucks for stockpiling at Kumarkhali godown around 11:30 am, Awami League MP (Kushtia-4) Abdur Rouf along with local people resisted the move claiming the wheat substandard and unfit for consumption. Rouf said, “As I found the wheat substandard, I didn’t allow it to be stored in the godown. We won’t receive the wheat without test.”
In-charge of Kumarkhali godown Sahabul Alam said, “We examine wheat if it is procured locally. But, the imported wheat was brought here after examination. As per the government rule, I have to receive it and store in the godown. I’ll inform the matter to the higher authorities and work as per their order,” he said.
The government recently has imported some 2 lakh metric tonnes of wheat worth Tk 400 crore from Brazil and those were being distributed under government programmes such as food for work (kabikha) and Test Relief (TR), and among police, BGB, Ansar, prison, dealers and mills.
There is an allegation that the imported Brazilian wheat is rotten and not consumable. The Directorate General of Food himself questioned the quality of the imported wheat as the Brazilian Agriculture Ministry and authorities of related departments did not provide any certificate in this regard.
The directorate chemists have marked some shipments of the wheat under ‘B’ category and substandard. However, Food Minister Qamrul Islam claimed that the imported wheat is consumable. On June 30 the High Court issued a rule asking the Director General of the Directorate General of Food to explain within 72 hours whether the wheat imported from Brazil is fit for human consumption.
