DU pharmacy dept refuses to shoulder research that found detergent in milk

Dhaka University's Department of Pharmacy has distanced itself from a research that found detergent and antibiotics in pasteurised and unpasteurised milk samples.

In a media statement on Friday, the department said that it will not take responsibility for the research findings.

"The department was not involved with the report and research," the statement, signed by chairman professor Sitesh Chandra Bachar, read.

The Faculty of Pharmacy and Biomedical Research Centre on 25 June said they found traces of detergent and antibiotics in some samples of pasteurised and unpasteurised milk available in the local market.

Professor Bachar told UNB that no-one from his department was involved in this research.

"It was the job of DU researchers to publish the findings in journals, not to disclose them at a press conference," he said, suspecting that there might have been "some other intention".

Biomedical Research Centre director professor ABM Faroque also confirmed that the pharmacy department was not involved with the research.

He clarified that it was conducted by some members and students of the pharmacy faculty, not the pharmacy department.

Prof Faroque defended the findings and making them public.

"The research is alright," he said. "Our only intention was to inform the people after we found the harmful elements in milk."