HC orders action against dishonest fruit traders
Tuesday, 11 May 2010
The High Court (HC) has asked law enforcers to sue unscrupulous traders who are mixing toxic chemical ingredients to ripen and preserve seasonal fruits prematurely under the Special Powers Act.
Passing the interim orders upon a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) writ petition, an HC division bench Monday also issued a rule upon the government to explain within three weeks why a directive should not be given to take effective measures against the abusers to prevent public health, reports UNB.
In addition, the HC division bench of Justices AHM Shamsuddin Chowdhury and M Delwar Hossain issued a five-point directive on the respondents.
Secretaries to the Ministries of Commerce, Food and Home Affairs have been asked to form a monitoring cell to look into the matter and submit a report before the court within a fortnight, along with recommendations for preventing the use of toxic chemical ingredients into the seasonal fruits like mango, jackfruit and watermelon.
The chairman of the National Board of Revenue (NBR) has been asked to stop importing chemical-mixed fruits at all import points and submit a follow up report within a fortnight.
The DIG of Police in Rajshahi has been asked to post his forces in commercial mango gardens in order to prevent use of toxic chemicals.
The directors general of Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI) and elite force RAB have been asked to remain vigilant round the clock at fruit store houses in the capital and test the fruits before marketing those to be sold to buyers.
Besides, the respondents have been asked to bring to a halt the sale of contaminated fruits in the markets for preventing public health hazards.
Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh (HRPB), a rights watchdog, filed the PIL writ petition, after browsing recent newspaper reports on the matter.
Advocate Manzill Murshid appeared for the PIL writ petitioner.
Passing the interim orders upon a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) writ petition, an HC division bench Monday also issued a rule upon the government to explain within three weeks why a directive should not be given to take effective measures against the abusers to prevent public health, reports UNB.
In addition, the HC division bench of Justices AHM Shamsuddin Chowdhury and M Delwar Hossain issued a five-point directive on the respondents.
Secretaries to the Ministries of Commerce, Food and Home Affairs have been asked to form a monitoring cell to look into the matter and submit a report before the court within a fortnight, along with recommendations for preventing the use of toxic chemical ingredients into the seasonal fruits like mango, jackfruit and watermelon.
The chairman of the National Board of Revenue (NBR) has been asked to stop importing chemical-mixed fruits at all import points and submit a follow up report within a fortnight.
The DIG of Police in Rajshahi has been asked to post his forces in commercial mango gardens in order to prevent use of toxic chemicals.
The directors general of Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI) and elite force RAB have been asked to remain vigilant round the clock at fruit store houses in the capital and test the fruits before marketing those to be sold to buyers.
Besides, the respondents have been asked to bring to a halt the sale of contaminated fruits in the markets for preventing public health hazards.
Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh (HRPB), a rights watchdog, filed the PIL writ petition, after browsing recent newspaper reports on the matter.
Advocate Manzill Murshid appeared for the PIL writ petitioner.