Submit milk test results by Nov 9
The High Court (HC) yesterday directed the government to produce the reports of lab tests done at home and abroad on melamine-tainted milk power of eight popular brands before it by November 9.
The brands in question are Australia's Diploma and Red Cow, Denmark's Dano Full Cream, China's Yashili-1, Yashili-2 and Sweet Baby-2, and New Zealand's Nido Fortified Instant and Anlene.
An HC bench of justices Syed Mahmud Hossain and Quamrul Islam Siddiqui passed the order following a petition filed by Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh (HRPB).
The HC bench also granted three petitions filed by Dano, Red Cow and Nido companies through their lawyers to become parties in the case for defending themselves.
Deputy Attorney General Rajik Al Jalil submitted a government notification on the lab test reports of the powder milk before the HC bench saying that melamine was found in three brands of milk powder and the restriction on the other five brands should be withdrawn.
The HRPB on November 5 filed the petition with the HC seeking a directive on the government to produce the test reports conducted by the Chemistry Department of Dhaka University, BSTI, Atomic Energy Commission and also the reports obtained from abroad on the eight brands of milk powder before the court to dispel confusion about the powder milk among the people.
During the hearing, advocate Manzill Murshid, counsel for HRPB, told the court that different news items on the powder milk had been published in the newspapers. It had been reported that even some members of the expert committees had confusion over the test reports, he said.
Murshid said the government on November 2 announced that toxic melamine was found in three brands of milk powder.
In the current situation, the reports of lab tests conducted at home and abroad need to be produced before the court to dispel confusion about the test reports, he added.
Counsels for the milk powder companies advocate Mahmudul Islam, barrister Rokonuddin Mahmud and barrister Tania Ameer told the court that both the consumers and businessmen have been suffering due to the HC restriction on display and sale of the milk powder.
Earlier, upon a writ petition filed by HRPB, the same HC bench on October 23 ordered the government to stop sale and display of eight brands of milk powder found tainted with melamine until receiving the lab test reports from abroad.
Comments