Kishoreganj Correspondent

An advocacy meeting has been held in Kishoreganj to phase out unsafe drums used in the purchase and sale of edible oil.

The meeting was held at the District Public Library auditorium on Thursday at 10:30 am under the initiative of the Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB) and the National Heart Foundation of Bangladesh.

The meeting discussed the steps to be taken by the concerned parties to stop the use of unsafe drums for storing and selling edible oil, ensure safe food and protect public health. At the same time, emphasis was laid on the effective role of local administration, public representatives, businessmen and local influential people in phased elimination of unsafe drums.

The meeting was attended by Professor and Head of the Department of Pathology and Research, National Heart Foundation Hospital and Research Institute, Dhaka, Prof Dr. Sohel Reza Chowdhury, Founding Chairman of Bangladesh Food Safety Authority and Consultant of National Heart Foundation of Bangladesh, Mushtaq Hasan Mohammad Iftikhar, and Project Officer of National Heart Foundation of Bangladesh, Dr. Mashuk Shahriar, President of Shuvo Consumers Association Kishoreganj District Branch, Alam Sarwar Titu, General Secretary Monowar Hossain Roni, teachers, journalists, businessmen and concerned persons.

The speakers said that many people buy and use open cooking oil from the market to save a little money. But many consumers are not aware of the unsafe drums used to store and sell open oil. Unsafely stored and sold oil can pose serious health risks in the long run. They warned that it can even increase the risk of various serious diseases.

They also said that consumers should be careful when buying open oil to ensure safe food. At the same time, the administration, traders and all concerned should work together to phase out the use of unsafe drums for storing and selling edible oil.