DHAKA: Dhaka district administration and BSTI Saturday seized a huge amount of dates and papayas from the Badamtoli wholesale fruit market in an anti-adulteration drive, as the iftar items for fasting Muslims were found fouled with dirt.

The mobile court on the drive found the dates, which have high demand in Ramadan, “badly dirtied and unhygienic”. The papayas were found ripened by using harmful chemical carbide.

Headed by Dhaka District Magistrate Md. Al-Amin, the traveling court included BSTI officials and a member of the elite-force RAB.

The court drove into the wholesale fruit markets in Shyambazar and Wiseghat areas and located at least four houses where papayas were being ripened by using carbide.

The magistrate fined the business houses a total of Tk 6 lakh and seized all the papayas. The businesses are City Enterprise, Mamun Enterprise, Bhai Bhai Enterprise and Badshah Enterprise.

Khorshed Ali, the owner of City Enterprise, admitted to having used carbide to ripen papaya. He told banglanews24.com.bd, “We create heat and use carbide in airtight room that results in the fruits becoming ripe within 24 hours.”

In Wiseghat area, the mobile court found 500 sacks of dates, each weighing 30 kilograms, very unhygienic and dirty at Rasel Enterprise. “Even bird’s excreta (stool) was found in the dates,” said a source in the court of spot justice.

Zahirul Islam, Manager of Rasel Enterprise, was punished with two months’ imprisonment for the unscrupulous act. However, he managed a release by giving undertakings.

BDST 2013 HRS, SEP 04, 2010