DHAKA: The anti-adulteration cleansing drive backed up by mobile court to prevent product faking and control prices of essentials got a major blow as two cabinet ministers faced off out of “ego”, top officials of both the ministries said.

According to them, Industries Minister Dilip Barua and Commerce Minister Col (rtd) Faruk Khan took hard lines against each other over the conduct of the much-needed operation against price fixing of essentials by scrupulous traders.

“When the government is now in a crisis over controlling the prices of essentials, the edible oil traders were hiking the price defying government instructions that prompted Industries Minister Dilip Barua to formally launch the drive with mobile court,” said one top official, wishing anonymity.

On the first day of the drive, Barua told journalists that four mobile courts would be active in the field against adulteration and would monitor prices of essentials.

A number of top officials told banglanews24.com.bd that Commerce Minister Faruk Khan didn’t like the move mooted by Barua. A day after the drive kicked off, it was stopped without any prior notice.

During Tuesday’s operation in the presence of the Industries Minister, a mobile court confiscated 43,919 litres of edible oil of Rupchanda brand from Tejgaon depot of Bangladesh Edible Oil Ltd for jacking up price by Tk 4 per litre.   

Infuriated by the step, the traders went to the Commerce Minister who took position against BSTI’s mobile court, sources at the Commerce Ministry said, adding that the Commerce Ministry sent a letter to the BSTI sharp on Tuesday night asking them to stop.

When contacted, secretaries of both the ministries declined to speak on the matter, while both Barua and Khan did not receive phone calls made by banglanews24.com.bd.

BSTI director-general AK Fazlul Huq said the mobile court did not go to the field Wednesday as there was a major driver Tuesday. Asked if the drive would continue, he said: “We will inform you later.”  

Dhaka’s Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Muhibul Huq told banglanews24.com.bd that there were no legal restrictions on continuing the drive. “We could not provide any magistrate to the BSTI as we were busy...I cannot tell you anything more beyond this,” he added.      

BDST 2016 HRS, AUGUST 11, 2010.