No hazardous chemicals in fruits: BSTI report to HC
Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI) yesterday submitted a report to the High Court, saying it has recently tested seasonal fruits and found no hazardous chemicals in them.
In the report, BSTI said it collected 40 samples of fruits from different areas of Dhaka on June 19 and 20, and did not find formalin or any other toxic chemical in those.
Earlier this month, the institution had tested 265 samples of seasonal fruits from across the country and found no harmful chemical, BSTI said in the report.
BSTI submitted the report to HC through its lawyer Barrister Sarkar MR Hassan as per the court’s June 18 order.
Expressing satisfaction with BSTI’s report, the HC directed the authorities concerned of the government to continuously monitor the fruit markets and warehouses across the country so that toxic chemicals cannot be applied to them.
While hearing a writ petition, the court asked BSTI and Bangladesh Food Safety Authority (BFSA) to submit separate monitoring reports before it every two months.
The HC also ordered the chairman of National Board of Revenue and the customs department to submit a report in three months on the progress of setting up chemical detection machines at all land and sea ports to monitor whether chemical-laced fruits are imported into the country.
The HC bench of Justice FRM Nazmul Ahasan and Justice KM Kamrul Kader came up with the order.
On June 18, the HC refused to accept a BSTI report on their action against the use of chemicals in fruits, as it did not conduct drives in fruit markets and warehouses across the country in a comprehensive manner.
Yesterday, BSTI’s lawyer told The Daily Star that the institution has conducted drives at different places across the country through mobile courts and surveillance teams.
Around 400 maunds of mangoes were destroyed at Jatrabari area in Dhaka as carbide was found them and the traders were fined Tk 26 lakh, he said.
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