\\\'Wheat from Brazil consumable for human\\\'

The wheat imported from Brazil is consumable for human, the Directorate General of Food told the High Court. It filed the report on Sunday according to previous order after a petition was filed over the matter. Bangladesh imported 200,000 tonnes of wheat worth Tk 4 billion from Brazil and a recent report ran by a daily says it was “rotten and inconsumable.” A petition was filed with the High Court seeking a probe on the matter, when the bench of justices Quazi Reza-Ul Hoque and Abu Taher Md Saifur Rahman ordered the government to clarify whether the wheat was suitable for human consumption. On Sunday, the state submitted the report by the Directorate General of Food chief to the court, which set July 8 for the next day for hearing the matter. Deputy Attorney General Tapash Kumar Biswas argued for the state while Mahbub Uddin Khokon stood for the petitioner.
“The Directorate General of Food claims the wheat is consumable, but findings of other orgnasiations say it’s rotten and sub-standard. It seems that the food department’s claim is not right. The court has set July 8 as more time was sought,” Khokon said. On June 29, Pavel Miah, a lawyer, filed the petition using information available in newspaper reports.
He demanded the wheat be tested by the Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institute (BSTI) and Bangladesh Agriculture Research Institute.
He also pleaded for a probe by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) to see if the wheat was ‘below standard’.
The Food Ministry and the Directorate General of Food were playing ‘hide and seek’ with 200,000 tonnes of ‘rotten wheat’ bought with Tk 4 bn from Brazil, a newspaper recently reported.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina ordered a probe committee be formed but that has not yet happened.
The wheat, the report said, was being distributed among police, Border Guard Bangladesh, Ansar, the prisons, dealers and flour mills and also for Test Relief and  Food for Work (Kabikha) programmes.
Critics demanded that Food Minister Qamrul Islam resign over the 'bad wheat', but he presented two reports to prove the wheat was of good quality.
“The wheat is perfectly fine. The tests done by the Directorate General of Food and science laboratory (Bangladesh Council of Scientific and Industrial Research) have made it clear," he had said, according to bdnews24.com.

Terming Bangladesh Army as a partner of Bangladesh's tremendous development, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday expressed her firm optimism that the members of the army would move the country forward through patriotism and dutifulness.
"Every member of Bangladesh Army is a partner of Bangladesh's impressive march towards development. I hope that you would work with that spirit and thinking, and take the country ahead further through patriotism and dutifulness," she said.
The Prime Minister said this while addressing a function organized by the Independent President's Guard Regiment (PGR) marking its 40th Founding Anniversary at its headquarters in Dhaka Cantonment in the afternoon, a news agency report said.
Acting PGR Commandant Colonel Md Jahangir Harun gave the welcome address at the function.
Prime Minister's Security Affairs Adviser Major General (retd) Tarique Ahmed Siddique, chiefs of the three services, the Principal Staff Officer of the Armed Forces Division as well as high civil and military officials were present.
The Prime Minister asked the PGR members to maintain integrity and have a mindset of sacrifice in ensuring personal security of the heads of the state and the government.
"I hope that you would maintain your integrity and state of mind of supreme sacrifice in ensuring personal security of the heads of the state and the government," she said.
Sheikh Hasina also directed the PGR guards to go ahead keeping solid confidence upon their leadership and perform responsibilities duly to establish Bangladesh Army as a dignified Force before the World.
In this connection, she urged commanders of the PGR to always give necessary attention towards their subordinates, saying effective command channel plays the main role in resolving any problem within a disciplined force like Bangladesh Army.
Stressing the need for imparting training, Sheikh Hasina mentioned that there is no alternative to training in discharging responsibilities of security and said her government has built "Digital Bangladesh" to reach the ICT facilities to the people's doorsteps.
She urged the PGR members to carry out regular training and professional exercises through highest utilization of the ICT.
Noting that as the head of the government she has close relations with the regiment, the Prime Minister said the members of the force perform their responsibly with utmost trustworthiness, loyalty, discipline and professionalism.
"It assures and impresses me. You are especially selected and well-trained and your work efficiency and dutifulness prove it," she said.