Stores must sell fresh food, but complaints of owners must be heeded

NEWS reports said nearly 100 superstores kept their door shut on Sunday across the country protesting “harassment through implementation of discriminatory policy and misuse of law” by mobile courts and such other law enforcing agencies.Leaders of the Bangladesh Supermarket Owners Association (BSOA) said they have been compelled to close the shopping outlets such as Agora, Meena Bazar, Shwapno, Prince Bazar and all such superstores protesting imprisonment of outlet manager of a big super shop to two years, besides imposing fine of Tk 2.0 lakhs for selling adulterated foods. Some other superstores were also fined Tk 3.0 lakh each last week for maintaining stale fish, meat and expired food stock. The business leaders said superstores are playing important role to bring a qualitative transition to the country’s shopping system. They offer clean environment where consumers’ items are available in fashionable shelf and buyers really enjoy the facilities. It is more attuned to the global system that highlight the country’s socio-economic development. It appears mobile courts have indeed identified stale food items in their shelf and BSOA leaders are not also denying it. They said since they are handling a supply chain from local producers and farmers to city shopping system they receive some poor quality items and also often can’t sell their entire stocks. But in their view it is highly irrational that periodic inspection of mobile courts and law enforcers and punishing super shop management for violation of law is not enough to claim that they are really doing their job. Rather allegations galore to the fact that the law enforcers are taking advantage of spot inspection and collecting huge money from shop management on threat of imprisonment is not fair.  We have said it many times that the Health Ministry should play a regular role to ensure quality of every kind of food. Mobile courts are for dealing with serious but urgent situations. The mobile courts by their nature are arbitrary, in the sense they have to decide on a sudden inspection. So the authority must listen to the shop owners. We shall further say that owners of super shops should also remember that customers pay high price in the hope that they will get the best quality of food. They must not compromise on the quality of food items they sell and which people buy on trust.