Life in jail for formalin

Talha Bin Habib | Published: June 19, 2014 00:00:00 | Updated: November 30, 2024 06:01:00

Anyone found in illegal possession or selling formalin will have to spend life in prison, according to one provision of a law in the making, as the government moved to curb the curse of poisoning of the food chain with this toxic preservative.
The ministry of commerce (MoC) is going to place the draft Formalin Control Act 2013 before the cabinet soon, incorporating into the proposed law some stringent provisions, including the one that awards life imprisonment for such crime, officials said.
The ministry of law, justice and parliamentary affairs (MoLJPA) has already vetted the proposed law and sent it back to the ministry of commerce for taking next course of action.
"We have completed the vetting and sent it to the ministry of commerce for taking necessary steps," a high official of the MoLJPA who is involved in the process told the FE. Â
Earlier on November 04, 2013, the cabinet approved in principle the draft Formalin Control Act 2013 in order to control the misuse of formalin, a chemical substance harmful to human health. Though crucial for industrial purposes, misuse of formalin has been widespread-even, reportedly, in milk and sweets.
The MoC issued an official gazette notification on March 14, 2013 with some effective mechanisms for controlling formalin import and its uses.
The notification says the importers must have prior permission from the MoC for importing formalin, and the importers must maintain register for selling formalin to the buyers.
The Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) with the cooperation of some private commercial banks (PCBs) kicked off a campaign against the mixing of deadly formalin with foodstuffs by introducing formalin-dehydrate machines in a number of city's kitchen markets and some district towns.
But the 'formalin-free' campaign in the city's kitchen markets is yet to bring desired results as unscrupulous traders are still selling formalin-mixed foodstuffs and items mainly due to poor monitoring, consumers alleged Wednesday.
A chemist at Bangladesh Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (BCSIR) said formalin was generally used in making boards and plywood, industrial fungicides, germicides, disinfectants and in mortuaries. It is also used at medical laboratories.
FBCCI vice-president Md Helal Uddin said like Acid Control Act there should be a tough law in the country in order to control indiscriminate use of formalin. He suggested the government pass the draft Formalin Control Act 2013 in parliament immediately for the interest of public health.
"The draft Formalin Control Act 2013 should be passed in parliament soon for the public good," he said.
The business leader viewed that it wouldn't be possible to check mixing formalin with food items simply by introducing formalin-dehydrate machines in the kitchen markets unless people are aware completely about the serious impact of formalin on human body.Â Â Â
Customers in the city's kitchen markets said adulteration of all types of foods, including fruits, in the kitchen markets has taken unprecedented proportions in recent times.
They strongly suggested the government to take stern decisive action against the outrageously unscrupulous and greedy traders engaged in such criminal trade.
The Directorate of National Consumer Rights Protection (DNCRP) has been conducting regular drives against traders selling formalin-fouled foodstuffs in the kitchen markets.
The government in recent years operated mobile courts, fined and jailed some persons to prevent or stop the use of formalin in food items. But that did not do much in controlling the menace.
"We have been maintaining regular market monitoring to check indiscriminate use of formalin with foodstuffs," said a high official of the directorate.
"We are going to place the draft Formalin Control Act 2013 before the cabinet soon as we have completed all necessary formalities in this regard," an additional secretary of the MoC told the FE.
He said illegal possession of formalin would be considered an offence for which maximum punishment will be life imprisonment and Tk 0.5 million would be charged as penalty.