The High Court has ordered the Bangladesh Food Safety Authority (BFSA) to comply with its directives to the National Bureau of Revenue (NBR), to install chemical testing units at all land and sea ports across the country.
The HC bench of Justice FRM Nazmul Ahsan and Justice KM Kamrul Kader gave the order yesterday after Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI) submitted its report to the court, on the chemical testing of fruits.
The court also asked the BSTI to conduct random drives round the year, and to submit reports to the HC every two months.
BSTI lawyer, Barrister Sarker MR Hassan, said the HC issued some directives in 2012 to concerned government agencies for taking necessary measures to protect against the use of harmful chemicals in fruits .
The BFSA implemented most of the HC directives without installing the chemical testing units at land and sea ports, said the lawyer, adding: "So, the court today (Sunday) ordered the BFSA to inform the bench within two months about the advancement of its directives."
No toxic chemicals found in seasonal fruits
According to the lawyer, BSTI recently tested seasonal fruits and found no formalin in them and submitted its report yesterday as per the order passed by the court on June 18.
BSTI collected 40 samples of fruits from different areas of Dhaka on June 19 and 20 for testing. It also did not find formalin or toxic chemicals in fruits when it tested 265 samples of various kinds of seasonal fruits from across the country last month.
These fruits, including mangoes, were collected from different markets and shops across the country.
