Dhaka, Aug 27 (bdnews24.com) – The World Food Programme will resume distributing its biscuits at schools where their distribution was suspended after some children fell ill, as a probe report gave the all-clear, primary and mass education minister Afsarul Amin said on Thursday.
"Biscuits will be distributed for the remaining school days in Ramadan. After Ramadan newly produced biscuits will be given," he said at a press conference at the ministry.
The WFP distributes biscuits at schools in different districts under the School Feeding Programme.
Children at schools in Khagrachhari, Bandarban, Bagerhat and Borguna areas fell ill reportedly after consuming the WFP biscuits. The programme was suspended in affected schools.
A probe committee was formed and the biscuits were tested in Bangladesh, Thailand and the UK after the incident but nothing was found that could have caused the children to fall ill, said government and WFP officials on Thursday.
WFP has arranged greater quality control, nevertheless, said the minister.
State minister Motahar Hossain, acting secretary Badrul Alam Tarafdar and WFP country representative John Ayliff also spoke.
Referring to the probe report, they said the children might have suffered some ill-effects for a few reasons including taking the highly nutritious biscuits for the first time, consuming eight 75-gramme biscuits at the same time, not drinking enough water after eating them, excessive heat at the time or other reasons.
Due to the success of the biscuit distribution programme the government has started a similar project in ten upazilas of six divisions with the assistance of the European Commission.
Besides, another similar project of Tk 800 crore is waiting to be approved which will start this fiscal year in 80 upazilas.
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