Anti-formalin law gets cabinet nod
The cabinet today gave final approval to the draft of a formalin control law with a provision of a maximum punishment of life term and a minimum seven years' imprisonment for the offenders.
The Formalin Control Act-2014 will also empower deputy commissioners and upazila nirbahi officers to monitor and control use of health hazardous formalin.
Cabinet Secretary M Mosharraf Hossain Bhuiyan told this to reporters after the regular weekly meeting of the cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
The move to enact an anti-formalin law came following its widespread use in preservation of fish, fruit and other food items, which is posing a serious threat to public health.
As per the draft, the offenders will have to pay fine maximum Tk 20 lakh.
The law will make it mandatory to collect licences from the commerce ministry for both importing and using formalin, the cabinet secretary said.
The offence will be considered as non-bailable, the cabinet secretary added.
Formalin, usually used as a preservative for biological specimens, is now being used to preserve edible items.
To resist the harmful chemical-mixed fruits from entering the capital, Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) launched a special drive on June 11.
But Metropolitan Fruit Traders Association went on a strike on June 19 protesting the drive. After two days, they withdrew their strike getting assurances from the authorities concerned that the fruit traders would not be “harassed” and their goods would not be destroyed.
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