Acting on a BoI notice, the home ministry instructed police to seize the two brands of the CBL-- Crown Energy Drink and Hunter Malt Beverage -- from the markets, prompting police to launch raids in Dhaka.

The CBL was marketing its energy drinks as 'non-alcoholic malt beverage' without permission from Bangladesh Standard and Testing Institution (BSTI), violating the third condition of the company's registration with the BoI, the notice said.

In a letter to the CBL on December 9, the BSTI said it had no provision to issue licence to the company as there was no BDS (Bangladesh standard) for 'non-alcoholic malt beverage'.

However, the BSTI, in the same letter, suggested it to label the brands as 'non carbonated, non-alcoholic ready to drink beverage' for obtaining permission from the country's standardisation authority.

Dodging BSTI's suggestion, the CBL sold its products in the market without marking the brands as 'non-carbonated', the BoI notice added.

Law-enforcers seized 33, 251 cans of Hunter and 14,299 cans of Crown drinks worth about Tk 30 lakh in raids until 11:00pm yesterday.