Bangladesh govt claims wheat imported from Brazil edible

The wheat imported from Brazil is fit for human consumption since its quality is within the admissible parameters, the directorate general of food claimed in a report submitted to the High Court yesterday.

Director General Foiz Ahamed of the directorate and its Director (procurement) Ilahi Dad Khan handed over the report to Deputy Attorney General Tapos Kumar Biswas in compliance with an HC order.

On June 30, the court following a writ petition asked the food directorate to report in three days whether the wheat was suitable for consumption.

According to the report, it was prepared on the basis of result of tests carried out on wheat samples at laboratories of the food directorate, Bangladesh Agriculture Research Institute, Dhaka University and Bangladesh Council of Scientific and Industrial Research.

After accepting the report, the HC bench of Justice Quazi Reza-Ul Hoque and Justice Abu Taher Md Saifur Rahman yesterday fixed July 8 for a hearing, and passing orders on the matter.

Petitioner's lawyer AM Mahbub Uddin Khokon told reporters that the wheat from Brazil was not fit for human consumption as it had insects, as per “other laboratory reports”.

Pabel Mia, a lawyer at the Dhaka Judges' Court, moved the petition on June 29, seeking an HC order on the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) to launch an enquiry into the import of wheat.

The government has reportedly imported around two lakh tonnes of “substandard” wheat from Brazil, he said in the plea.