Main offenders spared for political affiliations
Food adulteration is going on as the main offenders are being spared because of their political identities and influences, National Human Rights Commission Chairman Prof Mizanur Rahman said yesterday.
"We don't want to see consideration of political identities during action against such malpractices. We want to see the enforcement of law duly against all," he told a discussion at the Senate Building of Dhaka University (DU).
RDRS Bangladesh, Public Health Foundation of Bangladesh (PHFB) and Dhaka University Rover Scout Group jointly arranged the discussion, "Adulteration-Free Safe Food: Our Responsibility".
Responding to the demand of capital punishment for food adulteration by some speakers, the NHRC chief said the rule of law was absent in Bangladesh.
In such a country, the rich businesspeople, who are importing and mixing chemicals with food, would remain out of reach and only the poor retailers would be the victims of legal action, he said.
Around 800 tonnes of formalin is imported against the demand of only 100 tonnes for industrial purpose, Mizanur said, "Who and for whose purpose is the additional amount of formalin imported?"
He said it could not be accepted that you on one hand formulated strict law to punish the adulterators and on the other kept all doors open to import those chemicals.
The state protects the interests of the rich and influential people, Mizanur added.
He observed that the businessmen were adulterating food by mixing chemicals to maximise profits as they had to pay extortion at every stage of their business.
DU Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr AAMS Arefin Siddique said some unscrupulous businessmen wee adulterating food to make quick bucks within a shortest possible time.
"They should be given exemplary punishment so that none can dare do such offence," he said.
Prof ABM Farouque of DU said food adulteration had emerged as a major problem and it was crippling the nation by causing fatal diseases to people.
Comments