Committed to PEOPLE'S RIGHT TO KNOW
Vol. 5 Num 1021 Mon. April 16, 2007  
   
Front Page


Fair Price Shops
Firms in question also join initiative


A number of private companies including some of those sued for stockpiling and selling rotten or adulterated essentials have opened fair price shops in different parts of the country.

Sources said these corrupt companies have joined the others in this venture in a bid to build a positive image in public mind and evade harassment by law enforcement agencies.

Some 22 companies including Partex Group and Abul Khair Group that have been sued are selling essential commodities through their faire price outlets with cooperation from Bangladesh Rifles (BDR).

The other companies include Meghna Group, PHP, Imam Group, Masud and Brothers, Alam and Brothers, S Alam, Mostafa Group and Mabco.

A mobile court on February 13 fined Tk 7,50,000 and issued arrest warrant against former BNP lawmaker and Chairman of Partex Group MA Hashem, his wife and three sons as their company Partex Sugar Ltd supplied and sold sugar in the market forging the BSTI (Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution) seal.

Another mobile court on February 19 raided Abul Khair Consumer Products Ltd in Chittagong and seized around 230 tonnes of inedible milk powder to be used as an ingredient in its Starship condensed milk.

The joint forces on January 31 arrested three police officials and two officials of Abul Khair Group who were giving the cops Tk 15 lakh in bribe inside Fatulla Police Station in Narayanganj for release of a huge quantity of rotten wheat seized earlier.

The district administration of Narayanganj on January 29 seized the rotten wheat worth around Tk 19 crore from five cargo vessels and from a warehouse at Aliganj. Abul Khair Group had imported it.

Asked about cooperation with companies sued for corruption, BDR officials said the authorities concerned would take legal steps against them for what they did. BDR is not looking into this matter.

" We are cooperating with companies that showed interest in sale of goods at fair prices. We have taken many initiatives to ease market price and this is one of those," said a BDR official wishing anonymity.

In reply to a question, another BDR official said, "We just ensure that they (companies) sell goods at fair prices ...We also ensure security."

When contacted, Riazur Rahman, sales manager of Partex Group said, "It (operating fair price shops) is a social service from us. We are helping BDR in their initiative to ease market price."

He added, " We took this initiative after getting permission from BDR."

Around 22 companies are running fair price shops in 19 districts.

Partex sells rice at Tk 19 per kg, potato Tk 13.50, onion Tk 14, garlic Tk 28 and pulses at Tk 44 a kg, and a half-kg pack of milk powder at Tk 160.

Picture
A 'fair price' mobile shop of Partex Group selling vegetables in front of Bangladesh Bank at Motijheel in the capital. The Anti-corruption Commission's second list of suspected corrupt people had the name of MA Hashem, chairman of Partex Group, on it. PHOTO: STAR