Four businesses in Bogura have been fined a total of Tk 100,000 for selling moong lentils adulterated with harmful coloring agents. The fines were imposed during a joint operation conducted on Sunday afternoon by the National Consumer Rights Protection Directorate and the Bangladesh Food Safety Authority at the Dalpatti area in Bogura town.
According to the district food safety authority, officials inspected several shops in Dalpatti to test samples of moong lentils for traces of toxic coloring. The tests revealed the presence of harmful dye in lentils sold at four separate stores.
Shop owners claimed they had purchased the lentils in bulk from Baneshwar in Rajshahi, insisting that if the lentils were contaminated, the coloring must have been added before distribution. They said they were only reselling the product as supplied by wholesalers.
Assistant Director of the National Consumer Rights Protection Directorate in Bogura, Mehedi Hasan, who led the operation, said the surprise inspection resulted in fines of Tk 30,000 each for two shops and Tk 20,000 each for another two, totaling Tk 100,000. He added that all traders found with colored lentils were instructed to remove the adulterated stock from their premises by Sunday evening.
District Food Safety Officer Md. Russel stated that the dye found in the lentils poses serious health risks. “Any unscrupulous traders involved in adulteration or the use of toxic substances in food products will face strict legal action,” he warned.
Members of the Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB), including its General Secretary Fazilatunnesa, along with local police personnel, assisted in the joint operation.
