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Bangladesh Makes Law to Punish Adulterated Food Dealers

Posted on: Tuesday, 20 September 2005, 09:00 CDT

Bangladesh makes law to punish adulterated food dealers

DHAKA, Sept. 19 (Xinhua) -- Bangladeshi parliament on Monday passed a bill with stringent measures to stop selling of adulterated and rotten foods.

The new bill -- "Bangladesh Pure Food (Amendment) Bill, 2005" -- provides maximum fine of 300,000 taka (about 4,600 US dollars) and various jail terms, including rigorous imprisonment for three years, in case of violation of the law.

The bill prohibits sale or use of any poisonous or dangerous chemicals, intoxicating food color or flavoring matter in any food, which may cause injury to human body.

Under a provision of the bill, the government may, by notification, establish one or more Pure Food Courts in each district and in metropolitan areas. The court shall consist of an officer vested with the powers of a first class magistrate.

A serial published by local daily Ittefaq on adulterated and rotten food by restaurants and selling items by traders after expiry dates prompted the government to launch a crackdown about two months ago.

Inquiry teams are making raids in different shops and factories and have fined dozens of prominent food producers for making adulterated foods.

The food shops and factories are making food items using chemicals detrimental to health and traders are using chemicals for ripening different fruits, including banana.

Many people mainly children have fallen ill with dysentery, diarrhea and other intestinal diseases eating those foods.

Source: Xinhua News Agency - CEIS

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