Make the law effective or face hunger strike

Poribesh Bachao Andolon (Poba) yesterday threatened to start a mass hunger strike from January 1, 2015 if the government does not start the enforcement of the Safe Food Act 2013 by December 31 this year.

Abu Naser, chairman of Poba, an environmental rights body, made the announcement at a discussion on what should be done to implement the approved measures to ensure contamination-free food, held at the Judicial Administration Training Institute in the capital.

The government is yet to implement the law passed in October 2013, which stipulates formation of a National Pure Food Authority that would work in coordination with different ministries concerned to address all issues and complaints relating to food adulteration and hygiene.

The High Court in July directed the government to put the law into effect within two months.

Reading out the concept paper, Md Abdus Sobhan, Poba's executive general secretary, also urged  the government to soon place the draft of the Formalin Control Act, approved by the cabinet on June 30,  in the parliament.

Poba also suggested not keeping any provision of tolerable level of formalin in the act.

Among 14 other recommendations of Poba, introducing and encouraging organic farming and use of integrated pest management were also mentioned.

Speaking as a special guest Justice ATM Fazle Kabir, member of the Law Commission, noted that farmers, wholesalers and retailers should be made aware of the harmful use of chemicals at production and distribution levels.

He also suggested increasing the punishment currently stated in the Safe Food Act.

National Human Rights Commission Chairman Mizanur Rahman said mobile courts only punish the retailers but the real criminals remain out of the reach of the law.

Referring to the youth, allegedly a Hizb-ut Tahrir activist, who was shot point blank in the leg and waist, Mizanur said law enforcers do not have any right to shoot even a terrorist or a murderer point-blank. It is the court that has the authority to convict an accused, not the law enforcers, he said.

On the other hand, Law Commission's Chairman ABM Khairul Haque said the Amnesty International or Human Rights Watch are more concerned for protecting the rights of accused rather than victims, children who had lost their parents or women who were raped in different times.