Officials in underhand dealings over food tests will be sent to jail: HC

The High Court has ordered the Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI) to inspect and re-examine food products at random throughout the country, including Dhaka.

Staff Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 16 June 2019, 09:33 AM
Updated : 16 June 2019, 10:47 AM

There are allegations of underhand dealings before tests and re-tests, the court observed. But it warned that miscreants would be "sent straight to prison instead of the ACC."

Justice Sheikh Hassan Arif and Justice Razik-al-Jalil issued the warning during the hearing of a writ petition on Sunday.

The court also ordered the National Directorate of Consumer Rights Protection to open a hotline in two months to provide emergency services for consumers.

Before the directorate’s hotline is in place, it has to provide the consumers with 24-hour emergency services, through a phone number of the directorate (01777753668), 333 in the Prime Minister’s Office and the national hotline 999, the court said.

All phone numbers, including the one of the National Directorate of Consumer Rights Protection, should be accessible for 24 hours, including weekends and holidays, the judge said adding the consumers should be informed of it.     

The High Court summoned Food Safety Authority Chairman Mohammed Mahfuzul Haque for not implementing the order to confiscate or destroy the food products that failed the quality tests of BSTI.

It also issued a rule on May 23, asking why there will be no penalty against him for the contempt of court.

Haque appeared in court on Sunday and sought forgiveness. The court dismissed the rule relieving him of the complaint with strings attached to it.

Haque must not disobey the court anymore and will continue the drive against adulterated food. As the Food Safety Authority mentioned its limited manpower, he will take assistance from other ‘government agencies’ to continue the drive against adulterated food, the court said.