PM sees importers’ hand in milk research

Prime minister Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday raised questions over the motive of the recent study on pasteurised milk of different brands at Dhaka University’ Biomedical Research Centre led by professor ABM Faroque.

The prime minister, now under treatment in London, voiced her doubt over the test result released by Faroque during a telephonic conversation with the party leaders in a special meeting held at her political office in Dhanmondi in the capital.

Sheikh Hasina, also president of the ruling Awami League, said that it called for a scrutiny.... The country needed to find out whether milk importers had any hand or influence in it.

‘After a test, an examiner suddenly announced that the milk was not drinkable. A writ was also filed with the court and the court banned the milk for five weeks. My question is, why our livelihood programmes that are benefiting people were being tempered with,’ she said during the conversation.

Those who had taken a decision on the basis of the tests, they should consider the matter — whether the importers had a hand in it, the prime minister said.

She also said that legal action would be taken against those people spreading such rumours or giving such false information which created an obstacle for our exports, besides tainting the country’s image.

‘I don’t know why a professor should spread misinformation through his study. Is there anyone who thinks about the actual consequences of such action? Livelihood of a section of people depends on milk, while fodder is also managed from the sale of milk. The people are rearing cows to overcome their poverty. Now, how would they survive as well as manage fodder for their cows,’ the PM asked.

The PM added, ‘Did the professor conduct any test on imported milk? I presume he never did. I am requesting him to conduct a test on imported milk,’ the PM said, adding, ‘We don’t want to become import-dependent country. We want to be a self-dependent country. We want to meet the local demands [for milk] with domestic productions.’

The prime minister said that Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution was working to ensure quality of food as per global standard.

She said that producers assured that pasteurised milk stayed safe for at least for 7 to 15 days at any market across the world as it was possible as they used preservatives in milk.

On June 25, a group of DU researchers led by ABM Faroque disclosed their findings following a study they had carried out, revealing adulteration in all the samples of milk and milk products, edible oil and spices they tested at a Dhaka University laboratory.

The samples included all the popular brand of ghee, fruit drinks, pepper powder, turmeric powder, palm oil, mustard oil, soya bean oil, and pasteurised and unpasteurised milk.

On July 13, the group revealed that they again detected multiple antibiotic residues in all the 10 samples of both pasteurised and non-pasteurised cow milk they had tested at a Dhaka University laboratory.

On Sunday, the High Court Division in a suo moto rule directed state owned Milk Vita and 13 other dairy farms to refrain from producing and marketing their pasteurised milk for five weeks.

Later the Appellate Division stayed for eight weeks the High Court Division’s directive following filing of appeals.  

In her telephonic conversation, the prime minister also urged the countrymen not to pay heed to the rumours and hand over the rumour-mongers to the police.

About the ongoing flood, Sheikh Hasina said her party is taking steps alongside the government to tackle the natural calamity.

The AL chief asked the leaders and workers of the party and associate bodies to stand beside the flood-hit people.

While talking about the spread of dengue, the prime minister said the menace broke out recently and it first spread in the urban areas, especially in Dhaka city.

Sheikh Hasina said the Eid-ul-Azha is right around the corner and people would soon set off for their homes to celebrate the festival.

‘Others will be infected with dengue by a mosquito that has already bitten a dengue patient. So I would request all to keep their respective houses, offices, wardrobes neat and tidy so that the mosquitoes cannot lay eggs there,’ she said.

News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net