DHAKA: The High Court directed authorities concerned to test the pasteurised milk produced by all the companies registered by the Bangladesh Standards Testing Institute (BSTI) at four laboratories to determine whether there is antibiotic and detergent.

The laboratories are the National Food Safety Laboratory, Institute of Bangladesh Livestock and Research in Savar, Institute of Public Health, ICDDRB, and Bangladesh Council for Scientific and Industrial Research.

The High Court bench of Justice Syed Reffat Ahmed and Justice Md Iqbal Kabir Lytton on Sunday (July 14) passed the order during hearing a writ petition.

The High Court bench fixed July 23 for passing further order in the case.

Barrister Aneek R Haque moved for the petitioner while Barrister Sarker MR Hasan stood for the BSTI.

Later, Aneek R Haque said Livestock Minister was made 8th no. defendant in the petition. The laboratories will examine the milk to determine whether there is health hazardous substance like count of coliform, staphylococcus, acidity, formalin, detergent and antibiotic in the pasteurised milk.

BSTI will collect the sample of pasteurised milk in presence of representatives from the four laboratories.

It also directed the BSTI to submit separate report after testing the pasteurised milk to this court in seven days.

On June 25, the Pharmacy Faculty and Biomedical Research Centre claimed that it detected detergent and three types of antibiotics in pasteurised milk.

On the same day, the BSTI submitted a report to the High Court, claiming they did not find anything harmful in the milk samples after testing.

BDST: 1738 HRS, JULY 14, 2019

RS/SMS