'Punish criminals'

Rights activists yesterday demanded the government give death sentences to the criminals involved in food adulteration and restart its anti-adulteration drive.
At a human chain and rally organised by Citizens' Rights Movement and SHEBA in the city, they said food adulteration becomes so immense nowadays that people find it difficult to consume food items.
The situation has become so worsening that rotten potatoes, fat, chemical colour and semolina are used to prepare ghee, while brickbats are mixed with powdered spices, they added.
The speakers placed a five-point demand, including drive against food adulteration, seizing licences of the adulterators and their death sentences after implementing section '25-C' of 1974.
They also demanded formulation of a commission to resist food adulteration. Representatives of BSTI, reporters, law-enforcers and elected members of civil society would be made members of the commission.
The drive against adulterated food should be continued throughout the year, the speakers said at the rally chaired by Senior Vice President of Citizens' Rights Movement Maj (retd) Mofizul Haque Sarker.
Syed Abul Maksud, advocate Golam Muhammad Chowdhury, Dr Muhammad Inamul Haque, Dr Muhammad Nuruddin and Dr Farida Akhter Shilpi also spoke, among others.