Meals provided at BBPL give 25 food poisoning
Panic spread across the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium yesterday after at least 25 individuals, including 17 journalists, were reportedly taken ill with food poising after having the food provided in the media facilities, sourced by Seven Hill Restaurant, for the ongoing Bangabandhu Bangladesh Premier League (BBPL).
There have long been concerns among journalists regarding the quality of the food served to them and the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) terminated its contract with Seven Hill after complaints from the mediapersons yesterday.
Seven Hill has been sourcing food to the media center since the start of the BBPL on December 11 but its quality has been in question ever since.
It is understood that the food, which comes in boxes from the restaurant, are prepared long before being served for lunch and as supper in the evening.
“I have been suffering from food poisoning since last night [Friday]. I had a tough time vomiting and also had severe dysentery. At one point, I fainted in the toilet. I am not in shape to come to the field and cover the matches,” Maasranga TV senior sports reporter Zahid Chowdhury informed on Sunday via the WhatsApp group maintained by the BCB.
Prothom Alo sports editor Tarek Mahmud, RisingBD reporter Yeasin Hasan and The Daily Star reporter Nabid Yeasin also complained of food poisoning for the past two days alongside others.
BCB president Nazmul Hassan was contacted by mediapersons so that they could inform him of the issue.
Meanwhile the chairman of the BBPL governing council, Sheikh Sohel, informed that they would investigate the issue and find a solution.
“Being the chairman, I have taken the matter seriously. Food supply is related to the logistics department and I will talk to them and we will also investigate the matter,” Sohel told media.
Similarly, BBPL member secretary and BCB director Ismail Haider Mollick -- who is also chairman of the logistics department -- said that it was a matter of concern and ensured such complaints would not be heard again.
“I am aware of the matter and it’s a matter of concern. I have already instructed to change the food and obviously we will look into the matter seriously so that such complaints do not come again,” Mollick said.
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