FARIDPUR – A joint operation by law enforcement agencies has busted a counterfeit baby food factory in the Andharkotha area of Boalmari municipality in the district, leading to the recovery and destruction of a large quantity of fake products.
The operation, conducted yesterday evening, involved personnel from the Boalmari Army Camp and the Boalmari Thana Police. Assistant Commissioner (Land) and Executive Magistrate Golam Rabbani Sohel presided over a mobile court, fining the factory owner Tk 50,000 under the Consumer Rights Protection Act. The factory was also sealed off.
It was learned that Zahidul Islam (60), in the Andharkotha area on Al Hasan Mohila Madrasa road, had established the factory to produce counterfeit baby food. Without any government or BSTI (Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution) approval, he used a Dhaka address and operated under the name Abdullah Food. The factory produced various শিশু খাদ্য (children's food) items, including Dringo juice, ice lollies, and tamarind chutney, using saccharin, concentrated sugar, flavoring, and water.
Acting on reliable information, the joint forces raided the factory around 7 PM yesterday, Friday. At the time, Zahidul Islam, along with his son Ashik and four female workers, were engaged in producing these counterfeit goods. The fake products were seized and subsequently destroyed at the Land Office.
Assistant Commissioner (Land) Golam Rabbani Sohel stated, "The factory owner has been fined Tk 50,000 for producing these counterfeit products, which are extremely harmful to human health, especially for children. The fake products produced have been destroyed, and the factory has been shut down."
