Dishonest traders back as Rab keeps hands off

Deshi semai (vermicelli) is being dried in the sun on bamboo poles erected on the open drains beside the factory. PHOTO: Zobaer Hossain Sikder

Production of adulterated and sub-standard food items, including vermicelli, noodles, ghee and spice, is going on unabated in the port city ahead of the holy Eid-ul-Fitr.

A section of dishonest traders are engaged in it that poses serious threat to the public health, sources said.

Adulterated and sub-standard vermicelli and noodles are being produced at more than 200 factories in the port city without any approval of Bangladesh Standard and Testing Institute (BSTI), sources said.

Besides, some seasonal traders are also involved with the illegal activities aiming at cheating the poor and low-income consumers ahead of the Eid-ul-Fitr. They use the logo and title of some renowned industries, sources added.

The factories have been set up at dirty and unhygienic places in the city's commercial hub Chaktai, Khatunganj and Pahartali areas.

Md. Harun-or-Rashid, a trader at Chaktai, said that the adulterated vermicelli is being sold at Tk 32 to 34 per kg while Tk 13 to 15 per packet containing 400gm. "But the production cost is not more than Tk 12 per kg," he said adding that the dishonest traders make a huge profit by selling such food items. "The vermicelli is produced by substandard and rotten flours," he added.

A total of 20 factories run with the BSTI permission in the port city only to produce lachchha vermicelli and 30 others to noodles. But around 200 such factories are producing vermicelli and noodles without BSTI permission. They produce below standard and adulterated foods, traders said.

The dishonest traders run their business under the protection of a section of police officers in exchange for bribe.

Owners of the factories and the traders concerned had gone into hiding when Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) raided the Chaktai-Khatunganj area recently. Rab seized huge adulterated milk powder before Ramadan that sparked panic among the fraudulent traders. But they came back and started production and marketing of the sub-standard foods across the country as the Rab decided not to conduct any more drive here.

Though six mobile courts are operative in the port city since the beginning of Ramadan to prevent adulterated food production and it's marketing, there is no significant success till date.

A senior BSTI officer on condition of anonymity said "If we fine and evict a factory today, it goes on its operation just tomorrow."

BSTI couldn't conduct drive every day due to the shortage of manpower, he said. "In collaboration with the mobile courts, BSTI also works to thwart the production of substandard and adulterated foods," he added.

Magistrate of a mobile court said that the courts had so far conducted 12 raids at different points of the city and many illegal factories were sealed. "Three traders were arrested and about Tk 3 lakh was realised as fine", he added.

He said that the courts are gathering information about the illegal factories at the Chaktai-Khatunganj area and a massive drive will be launched soon.