ZCZC
BSS-12
HUMAYUN-RAMADAN-BSTI
BSTI strengthens anti-adulteration drives ahead of Ramadan: Humayun
DHAKA, May 2, 2019 (BSS) – Industries Minister Nurul Majid Mahmud Humayun
today said Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI) intensified
its anti-adulteration drives through mobile courts across the country to
ensure safe food during the holy month of Ramadan.
“Throughout the year, BSTI conducts mobile court and surveillance drives
across the country. BSTI has strengthened its drives ahead of Ramadan to
prevent the production of adulterated foods,” he said in a media briefing at
his ministry conference room here.
Apart from Dhaka city, Humayun said, the anti-adulteration drives would
simultaneously be conducted at different upazilas across the country.
The minister said that regional offices of the BSTI would conduct anti-
adulteration drives at the district and upazila levels.
Humayun also said BSTI has already collected samples of 406 food items,
largely consumed during the fasting month of Ramadan, from the markets for
tests to ensure their qualities and check adulteration.
“We have already received the reports of 313 samples. Out of the samples,
261 have been found okay,” he added.
He said BSTI will monitor the bottled water factories across the country
through high-powered surveillance teams aimed at ensuring safe drinking water
during the Ramadan.
“In 2018, BSTI conducted a total of 33 special mobile courts for ensuring
safe drinking water. During the year, around Taka 49.50 lakh was realized as
fine and 36 factories sealed,” he added.
The minister further said that businessmen involved with food adulteration
should abstain from the malpractice as it could also harm their own family
members.
Mentioning that BSTI conducted a total of 1,451 mobile courts till April 28
in 2019 from July, 2018, the industries minister said during this period,
nearly Taka 1.25 crore has been realized as fine.
Besides, some 29 organisations have been sealed on the charges of
adulteration, he added.
State Minister for Industries Kamal Ahmed Mojumder, Industries Secretary M
Abdul Halim and senior officials of the ministry, among others, were present
on the occasion.
Later, the Industries Minister inaugurated a sugar selling programme of
Bangladesh Sugar and Food Industries Corporation (BSFIC) at the premises of
its headquarters in the city.
The programme will be conducted in 16 places in Dhaka. Under the programme,
the maximum retail price of per kg sugar has been fixed at Taka 50 at the
sugar mill gate while the selling price of per-kg packet sugar is Taka 65 in
the truck-sale programme.
BSS/KUC/SSS/1552 hrs