Thugs with political clout control unsafe jar water business in Dhaka

A thriving criminal-political network is in overdrive in the drinking water jar business which is controlled by local leaders of the ruling Awami League, its affiliates and people backed by them.

A recent government study found tap water - which is packaged in jars and barely filtered - puts millions in this megacity at health risk.

Orders from the ‘Bhais’ or influential people, however, are more important than concerns about public health to those running restaurants and other shops that sell the jar water to the unsuspecting consumers.

The retailers say they buy water packaged in jars from the plants of local politicians in order to run their business without any hassle. And the people who have registered water plants allege even they have to beg for backing from the political leaders to stay in the business.

Officials at Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution or BSTI admit they feel ‘helpless’ before the influence of the local politicians.

A government study recently found coliform bacteria in 97 percent of so-called filtered water supplied in jars to households, shops and offices in and around Dhaka.

The presence of these pathogens from faeces of humans and animals in this water drunk by residents means the existence of disease-causing organisms is highly likely.

The Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority itself encourages people to boil tap water before drinking because even though water is safe at the point where it is treated, the problem lies in the network that distributes the water to taps across the city.

Wari Awami League General Secretary Abul Hossain’s water plant is on Radha Sen Street, from where he supplies the restaurants and shops at Kaptanbazar, Nababpur Road, Gulistan and Wari.

Workers at his registered plant were found to clean the jars with detergents while the machine to clean the jars was found switched off around 12:30pm on Jan 31.

Contaminated water was being filled up from taps into jars  instead of using the refiner. 

Moreover, there were no label declaring BSTI clearance and date of expiry on the jars.

Owner Abul was not at the plant at the time. Manager Abdur Rahman declined comment and would not give the phone number or address of Abul either.

bdnews24.com managed the number and rang Abul several times for his comment, but he did not take calls.

Bhatara Juba League Organising Secretary Sohel Rana’s firm WaterCom supplies jar waters in Kuril-Joar Sahara area.

The plant is not among the 250 registered with the BSTI.

Besides local leaders of the Awami League, Swechchhasebak League, and Juba League, some of Bangladesh Chhatra League at the Dhaka University are also involved in the business.

Dhaka University’s Shaheed Sergeant Zahurul Haq Hall BCL President Sohanur Rahman and Sir AF Rahman Hall BCL President Hafizur Rahman run the jar water business in Nilkhet and Gausul Azam areas.

The retailers say no other water jars than those from the two BCL leaders make their way to the area.

Shanur, however, denied the allegation of barring others from doing business in the areas.

“The shopkeepers buy the water they consider best,” he said.

Businesses ‘powerless’

Those who runs food shops in the capital say they want to buy good quality drinking water to maintain goodwill, but cannot do it all the time fearing trouble by local hoodlums.

“There is no scope of bringing water from businesses in other areas,” said one of the shopkeepers in Mohakhali.    

People involved in jar water business said they also have to solicit backing of politically influential people.

“Those who have plants but no political identity or backing won’t be able to continue in the business,” said one of them in Mirpur.

Another businessman in Motijheel alleged ‘some people’ did not allow him to ship water jars to certain areas.

All of them spoke to bdnews24.com on condition of anonymity for fear backlash from the fake water sellers.

Pure Drinking Water Manufacturing Association of Bangladesh General Secretary Md Humayun Kabir said people from the ruling party ‘force shops to buy their water jars’.

‘BSTI acts smart’

Several BSTI officials said they faced obstructions from political leaders when they had tried to raid illegal water packaging plants.

One of the officials, requesting anonymity, said they use guile to shut these illegal plants.

“Sometimes we set up mobile courts on the streets, punishing those engaged in the illegal business when they carry the water jars,” he said.

BSTI Director General Sarder Abul Kalam, however, declines to comment on the issue, saying he only joined recently, suggesting he is not up to speed on this issue.