HC summons BSTI, BFSA officials over substandard products

Expressing its grave concern over the substandard products of renowned companies, the High Court on Thursday asked an official of Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI) and Bangladesh Food Safety Authority (BFSA) each to appear before it on Sunday to explain their stance over the issue, reports UNB.

The HC bench of justice Sheikh Hassan Arif and justice Razik-Al-Jalil passed the order after hearing a writ petition filed by Palash Mahmud, executive director of Conscious Consumer Society (CCS), seeking its order to recall 52 products that failed quality tests of BSTI from the market.

The petition also sought an embargo on the production of the products until their qualities improve.

The court said the BSTI should have removed the products immediately after the detection of adulteration in those.

Shihab Uddin Khan, the plaintiff's lawyer, said that according to media reports on 3-4 May, 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 6 May.

"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."

At this stage, the court said products of many renowned brands, including Rupchada and Teer soyabean oil, are also among the adulterated ones.

"Adulteration is in turmeric powder of Pran and Fresh, too. Where are we now?"

Later, court directed a BSTI and BFSA office each not below the rank of deputy director to appear before it on Sunday to explain their stance over the issue.

The 52 substandard products include Teer mustard oil of City Oil, Green Bleaching, Shobnom, Ruchanda soya bean of Bangladesh Edible Oil Ltd, chips of Kashem Food; drinking water of Ara Food, Duncan, Deeghi; vermicelli of Pran, Well Food, Mishtimela, Modhubon, Mithai, Amrita, Jedda, Kiron; turmeric powder of Danish, Pran, Fresh, Dolphin, Manjil; iodized salt of ACI, Molla Salt, Dada Super, Madhumati, Medina, Noor; soft drink powder of Shanto Food, Jahangir; curry powder of Danish, Pran; chili powder of Dolphin, Hathazari; ghee of Baghbari Special, Banalata, Shurjo.