The age-old Chittagong Shutki Polli in the port city’s Asadganj and Chaktai areas has been flooded with dried fishes mixed with poisonous chemicals and artificial colours.
Some unscrupulous traders are doing this for preserving the product for long and also to boost sales that will lead to bigger profits, said Asadganj Shutki Wholesale Traders Association and Asadganj Shutki Polli Traders Association leaders.
Shutki Polli is one of the busiest dried fish markets and products from here are shipped to different parts of the country.
Local sources said the use of toxic chemicals and colours is an open secret at Shutki Polli while buyers and consumers of other districts are not aware of the adulteration practice.
During a three-and-a-half-hour mobile court drive at the dried fish trade hub yesterday, about 1,000 kilogrammes of dried ilish adulterated with poisonous chemicals and colours, and several sacks of expired colour-mixed salt were seized.
The mobile court, led by Chittagong District Administration’s Assistant Commissioner and Executive Magistrate Md Ruhul Amin, later destroyed the fish and salt. The magistrate said six traders were fined a total of Tk95,000 during the drive and a shop was sealed.
Most of the wholesalers preserved chemical-mixed dried fishes in unhygienic warehouses and retailers were selling those after mixing colours to attract buyers.
Magistrate Ruhul said some traders were also found to have used formalin in order to preserve fish for longer than usual.
“Many traders shut their shops in fear when the mobile court arrived there. Adulterating fish this way is illegal and consuming such fishes is certainly detrimental for health.
“Besides, traders and workers can contract various diseases as they work in this unhygienic environment,” he added.
Asadganj Shutki Polli Traders Association’s General Secretary Farid Ahmed said 250 retailers operate businesses at Shutki Polli and they have buyers from across the country.
“This is why they will not involve themselves in this unscrupulous act because they will lose customers if they sell adulterated fish. The wholesalers who preserve fish in warehouses should be mostly blamed for this nefarious act,” he said. Farid said the mobile court drive was the first of its kind at Shutki Polli.
“We consider adulteration of fish a serious issue and will look into it. All traders have already been warned and we will take stern action against any of them if he is found guilty of mixing chemicals and colours with fish in the future.”
Asadganj Shutki Wholesale Traders Association’s General Secretary Md Nazer said there are 50 wholesalers at Shutki Polli but only a few of them might be involved in fish adulteration.
“Chemicals can be applied in dried ilish while some traders use colours to attract buyers but they have no intention to sell expired items,” he said.
“The National Board of Revenue from August 1 has raised import duty on dried fish from Tk61 to Tk147 per kg. This may be a reason why traders will be inclined to apply chemicals in their products,” he added.
