Committed to PEOPLE'S RIGHT TO KNOW
Vol. 5 Num 415 Wed. July 27, 2005  
   
Front Page


Fake mineral water factory sealed off
Edible oil trader fined


A mobile court yesterday collected Tk one lakh in fines for the sale of unapproved edible oil and the court also sealed a mineral water factory in Mohakhali.

Another team of the Dhaka City Corporation (DCC) yesterday raided four fast food shops and a Chinese restaurant and collected Tk 15,400 in fines and also throw out beef on the street as the seller was not maintaining hygienic standards.

The recently formed mobile court, led by ABM Abdul Fattah, conducted the drive on Hossain Oil Traders at Malibagh Bazar for selling edible oil without the label of the Bangladesh Standard and Testing Institute (BSTI). Hossain traders, a wholesaler, has been selling soybean oil, mustard oil and vegetable oil. But BSTI has not approved any certificate for the vegetable oil.

The court fined them Tk one lakh, which was instantly collected.

"We have collected the oil sample and sent it to the BSTI. Later we will take action against the refinery company of the oil," said Fattah.

Later the team raided a bottled water factory in Mohakhali and sealed off the factory. The employees of the 'Mineral Water' factory fled away before the police nabbed them. No case was filed in this regard.

The DCC team went to Baily Road and raided all the luxurious fast food shops, including Swiss.

Public Analyst of the DCC, Md. Golam Sarwar, told The Daily Star that all those fast food shops are using unapproved food colour.

"When we reached there, all the fast food shop owners ran away as their kitchen is unhygienic and they use unapproved food colour," he said.

Another unit of the DCC yesterday raided some roadside meat shops but could not nab the owners or sellers. Later the DCC men threw away unhygienic meat on the road and put kerosene oil on it.

Another two mobile courts formed by the home ministry started working to raid unhygienic and unhealthy food item producers.

Picture
A mobile court staff seizes containers from a fake mineral water factory at Mohakhali in the capital yesterday as the drive against producers and sellers of adulterated food items continued. PHOTO: STAR