Fruit traders go on strike
Fruit traders go on strike
Protest 'harassment' in the name of anti-formalin drive
Dhaka Metropolitan Fruit Traders Association has called an indefinite strike in the capital, in protest at the government's ongoing drive against chemical-laced fruits.
They will keep their fruit shops shut from today until law enforcers stop harassing them by testing fruits for formalin, with what they call is a faulty device, and destroying those, the association said in a press statement yesterday.
The Dhaka Metropolitan Police launched the drive on June 11.
The traders are not against the drive and law enforcers may punish anyone if they find him treating fruits with formalin, the statement says.
“None of the small traders treat fruits with chemicals but law enforcers have been harassing them by destroying their goods,” Sana Ullah, president of the organisation, told The Daily Star by phone.
The wholesalers have extended their support to the strike, he said.
Fruit traders will also form a human chain in front of the Jatiya Press Club on Saturday, in which they will announce other protest programmes, said Afzal Hossain, secretary of the organisation.
Meanwhile, Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed told the House on Tuesday that formalin import had decreased significantly over the years as only 55,173 kg of formalin was imported last year.
Some 10.73 lakh kg of formalin was imported in the last four years by 38 organisations. Of them, five are pharmaceutical companies.
In the scripted reply, Tofail said over 5.4 lakh kg of formalin was imported in 2010 while 2.69 lakh kg in 2011 and 2.05 lakh kg in 2012.
The chemical is being used mainly in research in hospitals, laboratories and pharmaceutical industries, the minister said. But unscrupulous businessmen use the chemical to treat a wide range of food items, especially fruits, to have those look fresh for long, which poses a threat to public health, he added.