Pabna dairy farmers demonstrate dumping milk on road

A number of farmers with placards took position at Bhangura bus stand in the afternoon and poured milk on the road.Photo: Hasan Mahmud
A number of farmers with placards took position at Bhangura bus stand in the afternoon and poured milk on the road.Photo: Hasan Mahmud

Dairy farmers on Monday staged demonstrations in Bhangura upazila dumping milk on the road in protest against the suspension of milk collection by different companies in compliance with a High Court order.

A number of farmers with placards took position at Bhangura bus stand in the afternoon and poured milk on the road.

The demonstrators said some 2.5 lakh litres of milk are produced from dairy farms in Bhangura, Faridpur, Bera, Santhia and Sujanagar upazilas of Pabna district and adjoining Shahjadpur and Ullapara of Sirajganj.

The farmers used to supply milk to four companies, including state-run Milk Vita. Following the High Court's Sunday order, the pasteurised milk-producing companies refrained from collecting milk from the farmers, causing financial losses to them. According to the district livestock office, there are 5,564 farms in the district where some 10-12 lakh litres of milk are produced every day.

Kabir Mahmud, deputy commissioner of the district, said the higher authorities have been informed of the sudden crisis of the dairy farmers and steps will be taken soon in this regard. The High Court on Sunday instructed all the pasteurised milk-producing companies, including Aarong, Milk Vita, Pran and Fresh, to refrain from producing, marketing and selling milk for five weeks.

It also issued a rule asking the government to explain as to why the selling of pasteurised milk containing antibiotic and lead for people's consumption should not be declared illegal and unlawful, and why it would not be the violation of articles 15, 18, 31 and 32 related to 'right to life'.

Advocate Anikar Haque, a counsel for previous writ petitioner, said the court took the reports of Bangladesh Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (BCSIR) and Institute of Public Health with importance and ordered all the 14 the milk companies, which are registered with the Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI), to refrain from producing, selling and marketing milk for five weeks.

However, the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court on Monday partially stayed for eight weeks a High Court order that asked all the pasteurised milk-producing companies to refrain from producing, marketing and selling milk for five weeks, clearing the way for Milk Vita to produce and sell milk.

Chamber judge Md Nuruzzaman passed the order after hearing an appeal filed by Bangladesh Milk Producers' Cooperative Union Limited (Milk Vita), seeking stay on the HC order.