Super stores response to food safety drive
Wildcat shutdown today
Drives to continue: Food minister
STAFF REPORTER
Just four days after the Bangladesh Food Safety Authority (BFSA), under the food ministry, began its function by conducting mobile courts in the citys Shantinagar area, Bangladesh Supermarket Owners Association (BSOA) yesterday announced a daylong shutdown of all chain shops across the country for today.
The association, in a press release issued yesterday, said the shutdown was in protest of, what they claimed, harassment by mobile courts through the misuse of relevant laws and implementation of discriminatory policies.
BSOA General Secretary Zakir Hossain said they were compelled to take the decision as they were being harassed by mobile courts for a long time in the name of rotten or expired foods.
However, when contacted over the move, Food Minister Qamrul Islam said such types of mobile court drives would continue as the super shop owners were not maintaining quality of food items and denying quality products to customers.
We will continue conducting such drives so that they (super shops) will provide fresh foods to the people, he said.
Talking to The Independent yesterday, BSOA General Secretary Zakir Hossain said, We are sorry for the shutdown as we didnt inform the shoppers beforehand. The closure of over a hundred chain shops, including Meena Bazar, Agora, Prince Bazar and Almas, will cause immense sufferings for the shoppers. But we have no alternative to taking such a decision.
He also said the association leaders would hold a press conference on Sunday (today) to announce their next course of action.
Earlier, on May 11, The Bangladesh Food Safety Authority (BFSA conducted its first mobile court in the capitals Shantinagar area since its inception on October 10, 2013.
During the drive, the BFSA mobile court fined two mega shops Agora and Meena Bazar, and bakery shop Coopers for selling rotten and date expired food items.It also sentenced the Agora branch manager to two years in jail.
