Staff Reporter :
Save the Environment Movement (Poribesh Bachao Andolan-POBA) demanded the authorities concerned as well as businessmen to take measures to ensure selling of safe iftar items during the holy month of Ramadan.
Speaking at a press conference held at Bishwo Shahitto Kendro Bhaban in the city’s Bangla motors area on Tuesday, the POBA leaders said that Ramadan, the holy month of fasting for Muslims, is upcoming. Every year marking the occasion, a lot of iftar food is sold all over the country including the capital.
But a section of businessmen use adulterous and harmful materials to prepare Iftar in the hope of extra profit. These harmful and adulterated materials are causing serious health hazards.
Due to the use of adulterated products, various disease as well as death toll continues to rise.
They urged the concerned authorities to continue the mobile court against the dishonest businessmen who are using chemicals in food items and to implement Consumer Rights Protection Act, 2009, Food Safety Act, 2013, Formalin Control Act, 2015.
They said that the government has enacted different acts to prevent selling of such adulterated foods. But, a group of dishonest businessmen are showing thumbs to the acts and making food items with mixing different chemicals.
In the event, Abu Naser Khan, Chairman of POBA, said that our movement is always a movement to make people aware. Nowadays people are more aware than before. People should be more aware.
He also said, at present, campaigns are being conducted in various establishments for unadulterated food. He said if we kill a man, he will be judged. But through this adulteration hundreds of people rushing to death do not have a severe punishment. He thinks it is possible to ensure unadulterated food only by making people aware.
The executive president of POBA, public health specialist Lelin Chowdhury said, Sherbet (Juice) is a very favorite drink of people during Ramadan.
And various colors are added to the market’s syrups-Juice. Most of these colors of the food are not an eligible color. These colors increase people’s breathing problems, eye, body, and the skin problems.
Besides, this color damages the kidneys. Those who prepare these iftar dishes have no clean hands, even hands are not wearing gloves. As a result, about three lakh people are suffering from cancer every year due to food adulteration.
