DHAKA: The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court stayed High Court order for five weeks and cleared the way for 11 more companies to produce, distribute and sell pasteurized milk.

Justice Md Nuruzzaman, chamber judge of the Appellate Division, on Wednesday (July 31) passed the order after hearing petitions filed by the 11 companies seeking stay on those parts of the HC order.

Following today’s order, there is no bar for the eleven companies to produce, distribute and sell their pasteurised milk, said Attorney General Mahbubey Alam who moved for the 11 companies. 

Earlier on Tuesday (30), the chamber judge of the apex court cleared the way for Farm Fresh and Pran to produce, distribute and sell pasteurized milk. It stayed High Court order regarding the matter for five weeks. 

On Monday (July 29), the chamber judge stayed for eight weeks only for Milk Vita the High Court order that directed 14 companies to stop production, supply and sale of pasteurized milk, due to presence of substances harmful to human body.

Appeal Division Chamber Judge Md Nuruzzaman passed the order after hearing the petition filed by Bangladesh Milk Producers Co-operative Union Limited (Milk Vita), seeking the suspension of the High Court order.

Attorney General Mahbubey Alam moved for Milk Vita. He was assisted by Deputy Attorney Generals Kazi Zinat Haque and Barrister Mohiuddin Md Hanif (Farhad).

“I went to the Appellate Division on behalf of Milk Vita against the HC order. The Appellate Division stayed the order for eight weeks. However, this order will only applicable for Milk Vita”, Mahbubey Alam said.

Earlier on Sunday (July 28), the High Court ordered 14 companies to stop production, supply and sale of pasteurized milk, for five weeks due to presence of substances harmful to human body.

The HC bench of Justice Syed Refat Ahmed and Justice Md Iqbal Kabir issued the order.

Barrister Anik R Haque moved for the writ petitioner while Barrister Muhammad Faridul Islam moved for Bangladesh Food Safety Authority (BFSA) and Barrister Sarker MR Hassan for Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI).

On July 14, the HC ordered authorities concerned to test pasteurized milk samples of all the companies having BSTI licence in four labs to check presence of harmful ingredients including antibiotic and detergent. 

Three authoritative bodies submitted the test report to the court on July 23.

On Sunday, the court slapped ban on 14 companies after a hearing.

BDST: 1845 HRS, JULY 31, 2019
RS/SMS