The government has been urged to enforce the Safe Food Act -2013 strictly to ensure public health at a discussion held in the capital Saturday.
The speakers at the discussion also called upon the government to enact the Formalin Control Act-2014 in the parliament as early as possible considering public interest.
They were speaking at the discussion on safe food at the seminar hall of Judicial Administration Training Institute in the capital. Poribesh Bachao Andolon (POBA) (Save the Environment Movement) organised the event.
POBA President Abu Naser Khan presided over the discussion while its Executive General Secretary Engr Md Abdus Sobhan was the key-note speaker.
The speakers said a research of Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI) in September 2010 revealed that use of toxic chemicals in agriculture sector increased six times over the last 10 years.
The new generation is now growing with multiple risks of deadly diseases mainly due to taking sub-standard and chemical-mixed food.
They said as per the data of Bangladesh Kidney Foundation, some 16 per cent of the country's people suffer from renal diseases because of food adulteration.
Chairman of Bangladesh Law Commission (BLC) and former Chief Justice A B M Khairul Haque said people move slowly towards death by taking adulterated food.
He called upon the government to take stern action so that none could dare to get involved in food adulteration process.
Chairman of Bangladesh Human Rights Commission Dr Mizanur Rahman observed that those involved in food adulteration are powerful and influential.
He suggested bringing the masterminds of mixing toxic chemicals and harmful substances with food to justice.
Member of BLC Justice A T M Fazle Kabir expressed opinion in favour of conducting trial of the offenders under Special Tribunal of Safe Food Act- 2013.
The discussants called upon the government to implement their recommendations that include taking legal action against those responsible for mixing chemicals with fruits, implementing the existing laws strictly and sincerely by the government officials against food adulteration, allowing the Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) alone to import formalin and setting up food courts at all upazila and districts in the country.
UNB adds: Mr Khairul Haque said, "there's no difference between sudden murders and the deaths caused by slow poisoning of food adulteration. Both are punishable crimes," he told the discussion.
The former chief justice said there are many good laws in the country, but no law is effectively enforced to check the crime, food adulteration. "Visible legal actions should be taken against the food adulterators to stop it."
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