Companies vacillate in removing banned items from market

Send
Udisa Islam
Published : 11:20, May 16, 2019 | Updated : 13:45, May 17, 2019

Representational imageShihab Uddin Khan, the lawyer who lodged a writ at court over inferior quality products in the market, has said that not removing the 52 low grade items following a court order would be tantamount to contempt of court.
Though the court ordered immediate removal of products, many of the banned items were seen in the market on Wednesday (May 15).
Meanwhile, 17 institutions have given letters to Bangladesh Standard Testing Institute (BSTI) asking for their products to be re-evaluated.
BSTI has cancelled the licence of 7 institutions, suspending the production of 18.
Director of BSTI, SM Ishak Ali, says: “Of the ordered companies, 17 have given letters saying that their products are without blemish, asking for a re-assessment.”
A joint High Court bench of justices Sheikh Hassan Arif and Rajik al Jalil ruled on May 12 that until the marked items pass the re-evaluation, they should not be manufactured or marketed.
ACI has asked traders to return their iodine added salt of a certain batch. Business director (salt) of ACI, Md Kamrul Hassan, says: “BSTI has found extra (Ph) in packets of one batch. However, our lab result did not yield anything irregular.”
Chairman of safe food authority, Md. Mahfuzul Huq, said: “Unless the sub-standard products are removed, steps will be taken under existing law.”
Lawyer Shihab Uddin adds: “The matter has become complicated since in our social system, there is a common tendency to disregard the law.”
On the other hand, president of the Consumer Association of Bangladesh, Golam Rahman, added: “the matter has to be settled legally; court order has to be followed while it has to be ensured that no trader is adversely affected.”
It has to be ascertained if the products have harmful items or not and then steps need to be taken, he commented.

Related stories

Banned food items still in market

BSTI revokes licenses of seven food companies

/tf/
Top