The High Court on Wednesday asked concerned authorities to conduct chemical tests on all varieties of spices marketed by the Pran Group.
The two-member HC bench comprising Justice Salma Masud Chowdhury and Justice Md Habibul Gani gave the order after hearing the petition filed by Advocate Manzil Morshed on behalf of Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh.
The Chairman and the chief of the Chemical Testing Wing of Bangladesh Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (BCSIR) were asked to collect samples of all Pran manufactured spices and conduct the tests within 48 hours.
It also issued a rule to explain in two weeks why the court should not declare “illegal” its inactivity in taking the necessary steps to send samples of Pran's spices for a laboratory test to identify ingredients which may endanger public health.
In another rule, the HC asked why it should not direct the respondents to conduct a lab test of the spices of all companies to identify any harmful ingredients.
The rule ordered secretaries of health and food, IG of police, DG of Rab, director of (BSTI) and chairman of BCSIR and director of Chemical Testing Wing to explain it within two weeks.