Sweets made in filthy conditions supplied to high-end shops

The Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI) has fined an establishment in Mirpur for producing sweetmeats, including rasgulla and sandesh, in unhygienic conditions and supplying them to well-known sweet shops.

The action was taken during a raid at the establishment in E-1, Eastern Housing, Mirpur, on Thursday. According to BSTI, the establishment was producing, selling and marketing various types of sweets without the mandatory BSTI standard certification licence.

During the raid, BSTI officials found sweets being produced in an unhygienic environment. An investigation found that the products were supplied to Bikrampur Mistanna Bhandar, Navy Muslim Sweets, Rosher Hari and various sweet shops at Kalshi intersection.

The incident has raised public-health concerns as consumers buying sweets from reputed shops may be unaware of the conditions in which the products are manufactured.

A mobile court led by BSTI Executive Magistrate Md Mahbubul Islam, with assistance from APBn, took cognisance of the offence and imposed a fine of Tk50,000 under Section 31 of the BSTI Act, 2018. The fine was subsequently collected.

The establishment was also instructed to improve its standards, obtain BSTI standard certification and product packaging registration certificates, and market only approved products.

BSTI Field Officer (CM) Nur Jahan and Metrology Examiner Shikhan Saha served as prosecutors during the operation.

BSTI said such drives would continue to ensure safe and quality food products for consumers and that legal action would be taken against the production and marketing of food products without licences or in unhygienic conditions.