UNB, Dhaka :
Unlike the previous year, the summer fruits are entering the city markets without any formalin check as the administration could not prepare itself to do the job as per the High Court’s (HC) directive.
The High Court on November 24 last year had asked the government to procure appropriate device to detect formalin in foodstuffs and fruits.
Formalin is usually used in laboratories, hospitals, tanneries, textiles and hatcheries. But these days it is widely used to treat foodstuffs illegally to make them appear fresh, triggering a public health hazard because of its harmful effects on the human body.
Though five months have already elapsed after the HC’s instruction to form an expert committee comprising representatives of the Bangladesh Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (BCSIR), Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI), National Food Safety Laboratory (NFSL), National Consumer Rights Protection Council (NCRPC) and the Food and Nutrition Department of Dhaka University to choose the proper device, the authorities concerned failed to form the committee.
An HC bench comprising Justice Salma Masud Chowdhury and Justice M Khasruzzaman passed the order following a report by BCSIR stating that the formalin detection kit (Formaldehyde Meter Z-300) used by the administration last year was not a proper one to detect the chemical in fruits and foodstuffs.
Earlier on July 13 last year, Bangladesh Fresh Food Importers’ Association president Sadhan Chandra Das and its secretary Sirajul Islam filed a writ petition in the form of public interest litigation (PIL).
Following the writ petition, the HC ordered the BCSIR, the BSTI and the National Food Safety Laboratory to examine the impugned formalin detection kit to find out its precision in order to dispel confusion.
Contacted, Acting Chairman of BCSIR Md Alef Uddin told UNB that the BCSIR is yet to get any letter with the name of its representative to include it in the expert committee.
Advocate Manzill Murshid, who is representing the petitioners to the court, said he had already served legal notices to the authorities concerned on April 27 last month in this regard. But Health, Food and Home Secretaries are yet to come up with any reply to the legal notice.
“I’ll file a contempt of court petition for violation of the HC’s directive this week,” Manzill Murshid said.
Following the HC order to forma a committee to find out the proper formalin detection kit, different organizations, including law enforcement agencies have suspended their anti-formalin drives in the city markets.
City dwellers do not know how safe the fruits are as a section of unscrupulous traders allegedly uses various chemicals, including formalin, in fruits and foodstuffs to keep those fresh for long, which adversely affects the human health.
Md Mostafizur Rahman alias Mostak, a cloth trader of Islampur in Old Dhaka, told UNB that they are deeply worried as the government is yet to take any initiative to conduct drives against adulterated fruits this year.
As the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP), Rapid Action Battalion (Rab), the Bangladesh Standards And Testing Institution (BSTI) and other government organisations had conducted drives against the tainted fruits in the last several years, the unscrupulous traders feared to use chemical in fruits as preservative, Mostak hoped the authorities would take immediate steps in this regard to assure the city dwellers that no contaminated seasonal fruits enter the city markets.
General Secretary of Bangladesh Paribesh Andalan (Bapa) Dr Abdul Matin termed the present situation as unfortunate as the people are well informed that the seasonal fruits which are now available in the markets are adulterated by toxic chemical agents.
“The government’s inaction in this regard is unfortunate and we’re we hope that the authorities will form the expert committee as per the HC’s directive to collect real and correct formalin detectors so that drive against chemically treated fruits will start immediately in the city,” the BAPA general secretary said.
President of Paribesh Bacho Andalan (Poba) Abu Naser Khan said dishonest fruits traders had been in panic due to anti-formalin drives by various organizations in the last several years.
Last year, mobile courts of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) destroyed around 12,950 maunds of formalin-treated mangoes, 1260 maunds of blackberry, 9 maunds of Malta, 350 maunds of Papiya and 35.81 lakh pieces of Lichi at the entry points of the capital city of Dhaka from various districts and also in different city markets.
Unlike the previous year, the summer fruits are entering the city markets without any formalin check as the administration could not prepare itself to do the job as per the High Court’s (HC) directive.
The High Court on November 24 last year had asked the government to procure appropriate device to detect formalin in foodstuffs and fruits.
Formalin is usually used in laboratories, hospitals, tanneries, textiles and hatcheries. But these days it is widely used to treat foodstuffs illegally to make them appear fresh, triggering a public health hazard because of its harmful effects on the human body.
Though five months have already elapsed after the HC’s instruction to form an expert committee comprising representatives of the Bangladesh Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (BCSIR), Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI), National Food Safety Laboratory (NFSL), National Consumer Rights Protection Council (NCRPC) and the Food and Nutrition Department of Dhaka University to choose the proper device, the authorities concerned failed to form the committee.
An HC bench comprising Justice Salma Masud Chowdhury and Justice M Khasruzzaman passed the order following a report by BCSIR stating that the formalin detection kit (Formaldehyde Meter Z-300) used by the administration last year was not a proper one to detect the chemical in fruits and foodstuffs.
Earlier on July 13 last year, Bangladesh Fresh Food Importers’ Association president Sadhan Chandra Das and its secretary Sirajul Islam filed a writ petition in the form of public interest litigation (PIL).
Following the writ petition, the HC ordered the BCSIR, the BSTI and the National Food Safety Laboratory to examine the impugned formalin detection kit to find out its precision in order to dispel confusion.
Contacted, Acting Chairman of BCSIR Md Alef Uddin told UNB that the BCSIR is yet to get any letter with the name of its representative to include it in the expert committee.
Advocate Manzill Murshid, who is representing the petitioners to the court, said he had already served legal notices to the authorities concerned on April 27 last month in this regard. But Health, Food and Home Secretaries are yet to come up with any reply to the legal notice.
“I’ll file a contempt of court petition for violation of the HC’s directive this week,” Manzill Murshid said.
Following the HC order to forma a committee to find out the proper formalin detection kit, different organizations, including law enforcement agencies have suspended their anti-formalin drives in the city markets.
City dwellers do not know how safe the fruits are as a section of unscrupulous traders allegedly uses various chemicals, including formalin, in fruits and foodstuffs to keep those fresh for long, which adversely affects the human health.
Md Mostafizur Rahman alias Mostak, a cloth trader of Islampur in Old Dhaka, told UNB that they are deeply worried as the government is yet to take any initiative to conduct drives against adulterated fruits this year.
As the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP), Rapid Action Battalion (Rab), the Bangladesh Standards And Testing Institution (BSTI) and other government organisations had conducted drives against the tainted fruits in the last several years, the unscrupulous traders feared to use chemical in fruits as preservative, Mostak hoped the authorities would take immediate steps in this regard to assure the city dwellers that no contaminated seasonal fruits enter the city markets.
General Secretary of Bangladesh Paribesh Andalan (Bapa) Dr Abdul Matin termed the present situation as unfortunate as the people are well informed that the seasonal fruits which are now available in the markets are adulterated by toxic chemical agents.
“The government’s inaction in this regard is unfortunate and we’re we hope that the authorities will form the expert committee as per the HC’s directive to collect real and correct formalin detectors so that drive against chemically treated fruits will start immediately in the city,” the BAPA general secretary said.
President of Paribesh Bacho Andalan (Poba) Abu Naser Khan said dishonest fruits traders had been in panic due to anti-formalin drives by various organizations in the last several years.
Last year, mobile courts of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) destroyed around 12,950 maunds of formalin-treated mangoes, 1260 maunds of blackberry, 9 maunds of Malta, 350 maunds of Papiya and 35.81 lakh pieces of Lichi at the entry points of the capital city of Dhaka from various districts and also in different city markets.
