Imtaiz Ahmed , Narayanganj

The wholesale markets in Narayanganj are flooded with counterfeit products, capitalizing on women's beauty concerns. The country is overwhelmed with fake, adulterated, and expired goods.

The warning "Beware of Counterfeits" is so commonly used that people no longer take it seriously. This issue applies to both the educated and uneducated alike. In this empire of adulteration, everything is available—except the real thing. By consuming adulterated food, we are pushing the nation toward slow death and leading the next generation into an uncertain future.

"I’m giving you a discount of 40 taka from the labeled price, sister. We only offer discounts to familiar customers, not everyone," says a shopkeeper in a sweet tone, convincing customers to buy counterfeit products. Using these fake beauty products often results in dark spots on women’s faces. When they return to the shop to complain, the shopkeeper simply sells them more counterfeit cosmetics. "Sister, these are foreign products. We got them as luggage items, so we're giving them to you," they claim. With such sweet talk, many women fall into the trap of buying fake cosmetics.

A young man bought Pond’s Snow and Aloe Vera Jelly, only to realize at home that both were counterfeit. He returned to the specific wholesale shop in Digubabu Market, but even though the shopkeeper was familiar, he refused to exchange the products. "You’ll get replacements when the company sends new stock in 15 days," the shopkeeper said. Enraged, the young man argued, drawing a crowd. Eventually, the shopkeeper was forced to refund the money.

Later, the man bought the real products from Kadam Rasul Store after standing in line. He then realized that shopkeepers primarily deceive familiar, face-recognized customers by selling them fake products. Many shopkeepers sweet-talk women into buying all sorts of counterfeit cosmetics—fake Snow, powder, olive oil, perfumes, and more—presenting them as genuine.

Various government agencies, including the Ministry of Commerce, Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI), the Directorate of National Consumer Rights Protection, RAB, and the Bangladesh Police, conduct occasional raids to prevent food adulteration. However, these efforts are inadequate compared to the scale of the problem.

Regarding the issue, Dr. Nafiya Islam, Health Officer of Narayanganj City Corporation, said, "City residents are highly concerned with beauty care. There are beauty parlors in every alley. Without proper knowledge, people rush to buy skin-whitening creams. As soon as they hear a brand name, they blindly purchase it from various markets without verifying whether the product is authentic or of good quality. If complaints are received, the health department of the City Corporation conducts raids to seize counterfeit cosmetics."

Reports indicate that the historic city of Narayanganj is drowning in adulterated food. Fake and contaminated products have infiltrated open markets, hotels, restaurants, fast food shops, Chinese eateries, confectioneries, canteens, and even grocery stores. Where is adulteration not found? Almost everything we consume is contaminated. While verification systems like holograms, stickers, scanners, RFID tags, and barcodes exist, counterfeiters even replicate these, making it impossible for consumers to distinguish between genuine and fake products. The scope of adulteration continues to expand daily.

A field visit to various areas in the city, including Chashara, Kalirbazar, Digubabu Market, Ukilpara, DIT Market, Launch Terminal, Tanbazar, and Nitaiganj, revealed rampant use of artificial colors in street food items like chicken tikka, seekh kebabs, and jalebi. Near the grilling stations, containers filled with food dyes and spices were openly stored and reused multiple times on the meat.

Investigations reveal that every year during Ramadan, five essential iftar items—puffed rice (muri), chickpeas, onion fritters (piaju), eggplant fritters (beguni), and jalebi—are all subjected to various forms of adulteration. Puffed rice, a staple in iftar meals, is treated with the toxic chemical sodium hydrosulfide, which is typically used in tanneries for bleaching. This chemical, meant for whitening fabric, is being used to make puffed rice appear whiter and larger.

Unscrupulous traders are selling these adulterated products in the market to attract consumers. Additionally, urea fertilizer is mixed into the boiling process of rice to enhance its whiteness. Medical experts warn that consuming such adulterated puffed rice can cause diarrhea, dysentery, kidney failure, liver cirrhosis, and even fatal cancer. It can also increase the risk of premature miscarriages in pregnant women.

According to sources, BSTI mandates that any product meeting quality standards must obtain a BSTI CM (Certification Mark) license before being marketed. It is illegal to produce or sell goods without this certification, and manufacturers must print the CM certification number on their packaging. However, many companies are bypassing this requirement, producing and selling untested products. Consumers, misled by the fake BSTI monogram, fall victim to deception.