Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s stern words against to food adulteration in Bangladesh are welcome and timely, and they send a clear message that there will be no tolerating unscrupulous businesspeople who, in the name of profits, endanger the lives of citizens.
What is further good news is the fact that a central food testing laboratory is being set up in the country, and the PM has also instructed the relevant authorities to take steps for setting up one food testing laboratory in every divisional city as well.
The adoption of scientific practices through food laboratories to test the quality and ensure the safety of our food is the correct approach, and kudos then to the PM for recognizing that and rightly prioritizing the quality and safety of the food we not only put on our tables, but also export to the outside world.
Indeed, a country’s overall health is largely determined by the health of its citizens. Too often in the past, and as things currently stand in many places as well, contaminated and adulterated foods are commonplace, and it is the citizens who suffer from consuming these food products, causing numerous short-term and long-term health ailments.
Bangladesh, as it climbs the socio-economic ladder, must do so in an equitable and sustainable manner. As such, ensuring that its citizens are eating a balanced diet, with food that is healthy, unadulterated, and free from any sort of contamination, is the least that citizens should expect, and it appears that the government too, recognizes this.