�Low quality� wheat from Brazil
HC seeks report from government
The High Court (HC) yesterday asked the government to inform it in three days whether the wheat imported from Brazil worth Tk 400 crore is fit for consumption.
In response to a writ petition, the HC bench comprising Justice Quazi Reza-Ul Hoque and Justice Abu Taher Md Saifur Rahman passed the order.
The food secretary and the director general of the department of food have been asked to inform the court about the quality of wheat imported from Brazil. Further hearing on the petition has been scheduled for July 5. Barrister Mahbub Uddin Khokon appeared for the petitioner while Deputy Attorney General Tapash Kumar Biswas represented the state during the hearing.
According to media reports, a large quantity of wheat imported from Brazil, worth around Tk 400 crore with about 90 percent of payment cleared, has been found substandard by Bangladesh Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (BCSIR).
The test results came on Monday a few days after the food ministry said the wheat was found within the quality parameters or within specification of contract, said reports.
Sources with the ministry said the wheat was accepted despite the suppliers failing to provide the crops year certificate and the Certificate of Standard and Quality of Wheat issued either by Brazils agriculture ministry or chamber of commerce.
The writ petition was filed by Advocate Pavel Miah, a lawyer of the Dhaka Judges Court, following media reports over sub-standard wheat import from Brazil.
The petition sought a High Court rule on the government seeking explanation why the import of substandard wheat should not be declared illegal. The petition also sought a HC directive on the government to test the imported wheat at the Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI) and Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI) to check whether these were fit for human consumption.
The petition also sought the courts directive to the government for an investigation by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) to ascertain if any corruption took place during the import.
