Traders on Friday declared Kaptan Bazar (Thathari Bazar) as the sixth formalin-free kitchen market in the capital, pledging not to sell formalin-tainted adulterated commodities.
Malibagh Kitchen Market, Shantinagar Bazar, Mohakhali Kitchen Market, Gulshan-2 Kitchen Market and Mohammadpur’s Town Hall Kitchen Market are the other formalin-free markets in the capital.
The Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry — the country’s apex trade body — arranged a programme at Kaptan Bazar to make the declaration.
Commerce minister GM Quader, FBCCI president Kazi Akram Uddin Ahmed and vice-president Helal Uddin, chief executive officer of the Biswa Sahitya Kendra Abdullah Abu Sayeed and Islami Bank Bangladesh executive committee chairman Eskander Ali Khan, among others, addressed the programme. FBCCI first vice-president Monwara Hakim Ali presided over the programme.
Quader inaugurated the formalin-free market by cutting red ribbon and handed over a formalin detector machine to the president and secretary of Kaptan Bazar kitchen market supervisory committee M Ziar Uddin and Abdul Mannan Moyna.
Henceforth, both buyers and traders at the Kaptan Bazar kitchen market will be able to detect formalin in commodities like fish, fruits and other foodstuff by using the machine donated by Islami Bank Bangladesh.
Formalin, a chemical solution, is widely used for preservation in textile and leather industries. But, its use in fish and foodstuff has long-lasting effects on public health, for which people may eventually suffer from fatal diseases like cancer.
FBCCI is currently leading a campaign against the use of formalin in foodstuff.
Addressing the programme, the commerce minister said the amount of imported formalin had come down to 150 tonnes last year from 400 tonnes in 2010-11 due to the initiatives taken by his ministry.
Referring to the FBCCI and others’ demand for formulating a new stringent law like Acid Crime Prevention Act to check the misuse of formalin in foodstuff, he said the dishonest traders could be awarded different forms of punishment including death sentence as per the existing laws.
Quader said that the three existing laws — the Special Powers Act 1974, the Consumer Rights Protection At 2009, and the Pure Food Ordinance 1959 — had provisions ensuring adequate punishment for those who intentionally misuse formalin and make foods poisonous, he added.
He said, ‘It is easy to identify acid thrower. But, we can’t easily find out the real culprits who taint foodstuffs with formalin. We’ve to first ensure the involvement of a person in a crime before awarding him death sentence.’
He, however, said the government was mulling a strict law to put an end to the abuse of formalin and ensure exemplary punishment for the offenders.
The commerce minister stressed the need for making both buyers and sellers aware about the harmful consequences of food adulteration and for launching social movement against the misuse of formalin in foodstuffs.
About the success of their initiative regarding formalin-free markets, he said the number of buyers had increased significantly in such markets. ‘If formalin mixed food items are found here, stringent action will be taken against the offenders.’
-With UNB/New Age input
