Two mobile courts of Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution on Monday in separate drives fined restaurants and bakeries Tk 9.75 lakh and sealed off a herbal cosmetics shop for manufacturing and marketing adulterated foods and herbal products.
A BSTI mobile court fined four restaurants and bakeries at Motijheel Tk 7.5 lakh for selling their products without testing quality and certification from the BSTI and poor condition of their kitchens.
BSTI executive magistrate Abida Afsary and inspector Md Jahidur Rahman and metropolitan police conducted the drive.
The court raided shops and restaurants in the area at 2:00pm and found that bakery shops and restaurants were manufacturing their products in unhygienic environment.
Delhi Muslim Sweets, Hotel Shah Chandra Puri and Gharoya Hotel and Restaurant of Arambagh were fined Tk 2 lakh each and Quality Sweets and Bakery was fined Tk 1.5 lakh.
‘We had information that dishonest traders and businessmen continued selling adulterate food, especially iftari items mixing harmful chemicals. So, we raided the area and fined the errant restaurants and shops,’ BSTI inspector Jahidur Rahman told New Age.
Executive magistrate Abida Afsary told New Age that they observed unhygienic environment in kitchens of all shops they raided.
Jahidur Rahman said they have found that most of the shops and restaurants sell unhygienic curd without certification by the BSTI.
‘They also manufacture faluda with ice used to preserve fish. Besides, the conditions of their kitchens are indescribably unhygienic,’ said Abida Afsary.
Earlier, BSTI director Komol Prasad Das told New Age on July 8 that they would start special drive against sale of adulterated foods in the capital and elsewhere in the country amid Ramadan to ensure sales of hygienic food for all.
Meanwhile, another mobile court, led by executive magistrate Amitav Porag, conducted drives in the Lalgabh area.
It fined Sadia Herbal Tk 1.5 lakh and sealed it off for manufacturing fake screen cream.
It also fined two restaurants in the area Tk 1 lakh for their unhygienic condition.
-With New Age input
