Law and order
Raid on adulterated milk factory in Pabna’s Bhangura nets 2,700kg of jelly
Translated by Desk Report
The upazila administration raided an adulterated milk factory operating from a home in Pabna’s Bhangura, seizing about 2,700kg of harmful jelly, 200 litres of oil and 320 litres of adulterated milk. A mobile court sentenced two people, including the factory owner, to prison and imposed fines.
The raid took place on Friday (30 October) morning at the home of accused Abul Bashar in Kaidanga Natunpara village under Bhangura union.
Those sentenced were Md Abul Bashar, the owner of the adulterated milk factory in Kaidanga Natunpara, and his associate Md Sabuj. The mobile court sentenced Bashar to one year’s simple imprisonment and fined him Tk 2 lakh. Sabuj received a six-month prison term and a Tk 50,000 fine. He will serve an additional three months in prison if he fails to pay the fine.
Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Suraiya Momtaz and Assistant Commissioner (Land) Nusrat Jahan led the joint operation involving the National Security Intelligence (NSI), the upazila administration and Bhangura police.
Acting on a tip-off, the administration conducted the raid and found that Bashar had long been producing adulterated milk at his home by mixing various harmful chemicals and supplying it to the market.
During the raid, officials recovered 36 drums of jelly stored inside the house, weighing about 2,700kg in total. They also seized 200 litres of harmful oil used to make the milk and 320 litres of finished adulterated milk. The seized materials had an estimated market value of about Tk 8 lakh. The adulterated materials, which posed a risk to public health, were later destroyed at the scene.
UNO Suraiya Momtaz said mixing harmful jelly and chemicals into an essential, nutritious food such as milk and marketing it was a heinous offence. She said the authorities verified the tip-off, raided and dismantled the factory, and punished those involved.
She added that such operations against those involved in producing and marketing adulterated food would continue regularly to protect public health.
