Sylhet Bureau :
A district advocacy meeting on role of local stakeholders has been held in a joint initiative of Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI) and National Heart Foundation of Bangladesh to phase out the use of unsafe drums in the purchase and sale of edible oil.
A district advocacy meeting on role of local stakeholders was held at the conference room of Sylhet Divisional Commissioner by Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI) and National Heart Foundation of Bangladesh on Wednesday at 10 am.
Sylhet Divisional Commissioner (Additional Secretary) Khan Md. Rezaun-Nabi presided over the advocacy meeting and BSTI Director General (Grade-1) SM Ferdous Alam was present as the chief guest.
The meeting was attended by the special guests, Additional Police Commissioner of Sylhet Metropolitan Police Md. Masud Rana,
Director of Sylhet Health Department Dr. Md. Anisur Rahman.
The meeting was attended by the Deputy Directors and Assistant Directors of BSTI, Head Office, Assistant Director of Sylhet Divisional Office, representatives of various government departments, representatives including the President and General Secretary of various market owners’ associations of Sylhet district, various oil traders of the district and journalists of print and electronic media.
Deputy Director of the Head Office of the Department SM Abu Sayeed gave a welcome speech on the activities of BSTI.
Dr. Reena Rani Pal, Programme Manager of the Large Scale Food Fortification Programme of the National Heart Foundation of Bangladesh, presented a power point presentation on the harmful effects of open cooking oil and the steps to be taken to stop related activities.
He mentioned that the long-term health risks of chemical drums used for transporting, storing and marketing edible oil are currently a major concern. These non-food grade chemical drums should be replaced with alternative packaging immediately. He also said that transparent packaging is very important to maintain the quality of vitamin-rich edible oil. The use of chemical drums should be stopped with the help of local influential people and civil society to address vitamin A and vitamin D deficiency. In particular, public health risks are increasing due to the deficiency of vitamins A and D, and therefore the need for vitamin A and D mixtures in edible oil is essential in the future. He believes that it is possible to ensure a healthy environment for future generations by taking these initiatives.
In his speech at the workshop, Sylhet Health Department Director Dr. Md. Anisur Rahman said, we need to be aware of the health risks of this unsafe open edible oil now. If we are not aware now, the harmful effects it will have on health as we age can be devastating. He said that traders should take immediate steps to replace unhealthy drum packaging with food-grade packaging. In addition, social leaders should supervise retailers and keep the edible oil market safe.
In his speech as the chief guest, BSTI Director General (Grade-) SM Ferdous Alam said that the Vitamin A and D Fortification of Edible Oil Act was passed in 2013 and BSTI and the National Heart Foundation of Bangladesh, along with the Ministry of Industries, are working to implement this law. Currently, both drum and packaged types of edible oil are available in the market. The quality of drum oil is below standard and it is deficient in Vitamin ‘A’. However, vitamin A and D fortification of edible oil is very important for public health. Currently, most people above the age of 40 are suffering from cancer, heart disease and kidney disease. The main theme of this awareness meeting is public health protection and safety. He expressed the hope that everyone will be aware and actively participate in the protection of future generations. He expressed his sincere gratitude to the National Heart Foundation of Bangladesh authorities and the district administration and all those concerned on behalf of the department.
He highlighted the important aspects of BSTI in the workshop. He said, we are constantly working to protect consumer rights, but to be successful in this field, consumer awareness and collective efforts are needed. This workshop has been organized as part of this awareness. As part of Smart Bangladesh, BSTI is taking timely steps to provide services to the doorsteps of the common people and is trying to make consumers aware. By using social media, a large number of consumers are being made aware in a short time.
He informed everyone present about the overall activities of the National Heart Foundation of Bangladesh authorities regarding the enrichment of edible oil with vitamins A and D in Bangladesh. He described the harmful effects of open edible oil as well as informed everyone present in the meeting about the benefits of packaged edible oil enriched with vitamins A and D.
He said, while vitamin A enrichment in PET bottles could be ensured under the Vitamin A and D Enrichment in Edible Oil Act, it was not possible to ensure vitamin A and D enrichment in open oil. He further said, if open oil is stopped and brought under packaging, including ensuring vitamin A and D in it, illegal practices of some traders can be identified and action can be taken against them under the law. In the discussion, he said, BSTI does not act against traders but provides protection to traders.
He expressed his hope that everyone will work together to build Bangladesh. Then, in an open discussion, the director answered various questions of the participants who came to the workshop on behalf of the department.
The chairman of the meeting, Divisional Commissioner of Sylhet Division Khan Md. Rezaun-Nabi, said that it is the demand of the hour to stop open soybean oil in the interest of consumers and ensure that it is enriched with vitamins A and D by bringing it under packaging. He highlighted the nature of the ongoing anti-consumer rights work in the workshop. In this regard, he said that it is necessary to develop the thinking, ethics and mindset of traders. As per the government instructions, the district-level food regulatory agencies will stop the marketing of edible oil in chemical drums and will provide necessary advice to traders. He further said that the district administration will fully cooperate with the National Heart Foundation of Bangladesh authorities in all local-level activities including BSTI’s overall activities to enrich edible oil with vitamins A and D, improve packaging quality and raise awareness.
