A mobile court led by magistrate Rokon-Ud Doula conducted a drive at the showroom of Carlo Pharma (unani and ayurvedic) at Elephant Road and arrested three of its employees, including General Manager Golam Kabir.

Earlier on August 29, 2006, the same mobile court conducted a drive at its sales centre at Shahbagh and collected a number of samples to test the ingredients.

The test revealed that 12 samples, out of 16, are substandard and do not contain the same ingredients mentioned in the label.

For example, one of the tablets manufactured by it is Jurion and this medicine is prescribed to people who suffer from skin diseases and pregnant women with iron deficiency. The contents mentioned in the label of Jurion are Vitamin C, riboflavin, thiamine, pyridoxine, nicotinamide, chloride and iron. But lab test proves the presence of only vitamin C.

The court fined the arrestees Tk 3 lakh each.

The court issued warrants against its owners Mohammad Alauddin and Rafiqul Islam. Later, the court raided the residence of the owners, its factory and a warehouse.

The court filed two cases against the owners and ordered them to appear before the court on March 20.

Meanwhile, another mobile court led by Magistrate Nani Gopal Biswas fined two Zarda factories in Lalbagh area in the city yesterday.

During a raid on Kaus Chemical Works, the mobile court found glycerine, glucose and other raw materials for Zarda are kept in an unhygienic condition while Zarda are kept on the muddy floor for packaging.

The court fined owner Haji Kaus Mia Tk 1 lakh.

The court also raided Monipuri Zarda and fined the manager of the factory Tk 25,000 and issued warrant against the owner of the factory for running the business without the approval of the fire department and using non-edible colours.

The same mobile court fined Peacock restaurant at Shahbagh Tk 1,00,000 under pure food ordinance.

Another mobile court led by Magistrate Abdur Rauf Khan fined a manufacturer of oral saline for producing the life-saving medicine without proper permission from the authorities concerned.

Ara Food Products in Wari was manufacturing and marketing Ara oral saline although it does not have licence for oral saline. It does not have any chemist or quality controller of other food products.

The court fined its two owners Tk 50,000.

The court also fined Shahjalal Hotel, Tanjila Hotel, and New Rabin Hotel in Sayedabad area in the city Tk 10,000 each.