The High Court has asked Bangladesh Standards Testing Institute (BSTI) to submit reports within two weeks (July 15) with the names, and particulars of the companies, and firms that are producing and supplying milk, and curd in Dhaka with or without licences.The bench of Justice Md Nazrul Islam Talukder and KM Hafizul Alam gave the order during a Suo Moto rule hearing on this issue on Sunday.
The High Court also asked BSTI to give the names, and particulars of the companies, and firms who are doing the same business in Dhaka with valid license.
Deputy Attorney General AKM Aminuddin accompanied by Assistant Attorney General Helena Begum stood for the state.
Expressing dissatisfaction, the court asked: “If Prof Shahnila Ferdousi of NFSL could name so many companies, why did you [BSTI] fail?”
In reply, BSTI lawyer Barrister M R Hassan, and Deputy Director of BSTI Engineer Nurul Islam said: “We have given license to 18 companies, and the rest is not our responsibility but that of the Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources.”
Nurul Islam further said that except the18 licensed companies no other companies supply milk and yogurt to super shops in Dhaka, and that the statement of Prof Shahnila Ferdousi of NFSL is wrong. In this contest, the court can order to destroy the products supplied by companies without valid license.
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In response, Justice Talukder said, "If the task of monitoring the licensed farms rests with you then so does the responsibility of overseeing the unlicensed ones."
"But you are saying that this is not your responsibility. You should submit your assertion to court in the form of an affidavit.
The court also asked BSTI to submit the names and particulars of the companies and firms that are doing the same business in Dhaka with valid licenses.
Previously, the High Court had ordered testing of raw cow milk, curd, and fodder from the market, in light of rampant milk adulteration in Bangladesh.
On May 21, the same bench ordered the BSTI, and Bangladesh Food Safety Authority (BFSA) to present the lab report by June 23.
The court passed the order during the hearing of a suo moto ruling issued on February 11.
On May 15, the court ordered BSTI and BFSA to submit the report on May 21, after they failed to produce it within the15 days of issuance of the suo moto ruling.
Prof Shahnila Ferdousi, chief of National Food Safety Laboratory (NFSL), appeared before the court, and handed over a report listing the companies or persons responsible for producing adulterated milk, and milk products, on May 21.
In NFSL's report, the names of 30 curd-producing companies, 30 fodder, 31 packet milk, 96 raw cow milk producers, and several persons, were mentioned with respect to products containing toxic materials.