They’re mixing adulterants indiscriminately, packing inferior rice in branded sacs and producing harmful polished rice         

Abdul Khaleque Khandker: The greedy rice traders are cheating and befooling buyers at their sweet wills in the capital and across the country. They are packing inferior quality of rice in the branded sacs to earn excessive profits. For this reason, the buyers are incurring not only financial loss but also are suffering from many serious diseases after eating various chemically coloured and artificially polished rice, the buyers and market sources informed.

Adulteration in the ‘mini cate’ type of rice is in vogue in our markets. Although scarcely any type of ‘mini cate’ is cultivated in our country, but innumerable types of ‘mini cate’ rice are sold in the markets with high competition, once said an agriculturist on a television show.

A competent source informed, different course rice are polished harmfully and then are sold as ‘mini cate’ brand of rice. But presently, a new type of cheating is rampant and that is, course rice is being filled into the sacs of ‘nazir shail’ and ‘fine rice’, and being sold by the name of branded rice at exorbitant price.

The faker syndicates are demanding money from the buyers for fine rice although they are selling course rice to them. This information is known from the victim buyers and different market sources.

This type knavery and roguery in the rice markets are now rampant in the capital Dhaka and all over the country but nobody is to take any responsibilities.

The mill owners claim, they are packing and sealing good quality of rice and then supplying to the rice depots or wholesalers. They also claim, in the depots, the dishonest whole sellers copy their seals and fill the sacs with substandard and spurious rice and then send in the retailers.

The wholesalers, on the other hand, claim, they wholesale the rice to the retailers as they get from the mill owners.

On the other hand, the retailers claim, they are not involved in anything of the rice. They claim, they sell rice in the retail market only, and they do not do anything wrong and nor do they know this or that in the processing and marketing, and packing of rice. Thus, none are to confess the accusations.

The source again informs, the districts of Kuhtia, Naogaon and Dinajpur produce quality rice, but among them the name of Sherpur district is remarkable in producing best quality of rice. There are numerous auto rice mills in this district.  Varieties of aromatic rice like Tulshimala, Kalojira, and Chinigura are produced in this district. Best quality of Najirshail rice is also processed in this district. The source said, Joylaxmi rice mill’s ‘Jora Gavi’ branded  Najirshail rice at  Nalitabari under Sherpur district has great popularity among the buyers of the country. Taking this advantage, some dishonest traders of another district are imitating their sacs facsimile and marketing substandard rice.  Some dishonest traders are also imitating the branded sacs and supplying spurious and adulterated rice in the market, they further alleged. As result, the buyers and sellers, as well, are cheated. It is happening not only in one district but also happening in almost everywhere of the country. Not only Jora Gavi but also Sonarbangla branded rice of Tangail and other good branded rice are being imitated in a moment with the help of computer, it is also known.

When asked, an officer of the Safe Food Authority admitted the fact and said, it is a direct violation of the Section 31 and 32, Chapter 5 under Food Act 2013.  He informed, copying one’s branded products by another is a punishable offence.

The experts of rice and food informed, people are being attacked with various diseases after eating spurious rice. Recently, various diseases are increasing among people and these are due to eating the adulterated foods.

They say, it is high time the authority concern took drastic measures to bring the culprit to book and stop this malpractice to protect public health.