Industries Minister Nurul Majid Mahmud Humayun today said Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI) has intensified its anti-adulteration drives through mobile courts across the country to ensure safe food during the holy month of Ramadan.

“Throughout the year, BSTI conducts mobile court and surveillance drives across the country. BSTI has strengthened its drives ahead of Ramadan to prevent the production of adulterated foods,” he said in a media briefing at BSTI in the city.

Apart from Dhaka city, Humayun said the anti-adulteration drives would simultaneously be conducted at different upazilas across the country. The minister said that regional offices of the BSTI would conduct anti-adulteration drives at the district and upazila levels.

Humayun also said BSTI has already collected samples of 616 food items, largely consumed during the fasting month of Ramadan, from the markets for tests to ensure their qualities and check adulteration.

“We have already received the reports of 562 samples. Out of the samples, 511 have been found okay,” he added. He said BSTI will monitor the bottled water factories across the country through high-powered surveillance teams aimed at ensuring safe drinking water during the Ramadan.

“From July 2023 to February 2024, BSTI conducted a total of 14 special mobile courts for ensuring safe drinking water. During the year, around Taka 5.30 lakh was realized as fine and one factory sealed off,” he added.

The minister further said that businessmen involved in food adulteration should abstain from the malpractice as it could also harm their own family members.

Mentioning that BSTI conducted a total of 571 mobile courts till February 2024 from July, 2023, the industries minister said during this period, nearly Taka 2.47 crore has been realized as fine. Besides, some 23 organisations have been sealed off for making adulterated foods, he added.

Senior Secretary of the Industries Ministry Zakia Sultana and senior officials of the ministry, among others, were present on the occasion.