DNCC to reimport BTI from valid sources

The Dhaka North City Corporation plans to reimport Bacillus Thuringiensis Israelensis (BTI) to combat the dengue situation, but this time from sources mentioned in the agreement with Marshal Agrovet.

The decision came despite two tests validating the efficacy of BTI imported from China by the company breeching the agreement.

According to DNCC sources, the tender process for reimporting the chemical will begin very soon.

Earlier, the corporation assigned two government-run organisations -- Plant Protection Wing (PPW) of Department of Agriculture Extension, and Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research -- to test the BTI imported from China.

Confirming the pesticide's effectiveness, both organisations sent their reports to DNCC on Sunday.

PPW conducted the tests at the pathology department of the capital's Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University. The results confirmed the presence of the bacteria that kill mosquito larvae in the samples.

Meanwhile, IEDCR conducted the tests in its medical entomology division laboratory. The chemicals were tested on larvae collected from the capital's Mohakhali. During the tests, 92 percent of the larvae died after 24 hours of application in all three experiments, while the larvicide rate was 88 percent in the fourth test.

DNCC is now planning to import BTI from the US, EU countries, Singapore, India, and Malaysia, as stated in Marshal Agrovet's contract.

The corporation is now awaiting the government's green signal. This time, the contractor company should have a proper license to import BTI and have to provide proper paperwork, said DNCC sources.

In this regard, DNCC Mayor Atiqul Islam said, "The performance of BTI in the lab tests of two government agencies is satisfactory… We are thinking about reimporting the pesticide from authentic sources."

DNCC had imported five tonnes of BTI through Marshal Agrovet Chemical Industries Ltd. However, the company was blacklisted after the corporation breached the contract by importing the chemicals from China instead of Singaporean company Best Chemical Co (S) Pte Ltd.

Following the incident, DNCC sued the company and also formed a five-member committee to probe the issue.

Chattogram Customs also filed a case on Saturday, accusing five Marshal Agrovet officials of importing BTI pesticide for DNCC by forging documents and using false paperwork.

Asked about Marshal's future, the mayor said, "We will continue to pursue legal action against Marshal for misrepresenting the pesticide even though it is correct and effective. I will not condone any corruption or irregularities."