HC summons BFSA chief for not removing substandard foods from markets

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DHAKA, May 23, 2019 (BSS) – The High Court today summoned chairman of Bangladesh Food Safety Authority (BFSA) for not complying with its May 12 order to remove 52 food products, found by Bangladesh Standard Testing Institution (BSTI) as substandard, from the markets across the country.

A High Court division bench comprising Justice Sheikh Hassan Arif and Justice Razik-Al-Jalil passed the order, also issuing a rule asking the BFSA chief to explain in two weeks as to why it shall not take punitive action against him for not complying with the court’s order.

The High Court on May 12 had asked BSTI, BFSA and Directorate of National Consumer Rights Protection to conduct joint raids and destroy the products after seizing those from the markets. The three organizations were also asked to submit a report on the progress within 10 days.

Following the order, BFSA submitted a report today through its lawyer. But the High Court expressed discontent as there was nothing in the report to indicate its action on complying with the court’s order.

“BFSA has not removed even a single packet (of food) from any shop anywhere in the country as par the court’s order. There is not a single word in this report regarding that,” the court said.

The court then asked the BFSA chairman to appear before it on June 16.