The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

The government has formed an 8-member inter agency taskforce to investigate import and marketing of melamine contaminated powder milk, says a Commerce Ministry notification.

Additional Secretary of Ministry of Commerce Golam Mustakim will lead the taskforce, which will oversee whether any powder milk is importing without BSTI approval.

The taskforce will also work to identify if any powder milk was imported and marketed without approval of BSTI.

Necessary actions will be taken against the importers of tainted milk powder, the notifications said.

The committee will submit its report to the Commerce Ministry within 15 days of its inception.

The BSTI already confirmed import of tainted milk from China by some of the unscrupulous businessmen. After laboratory tests BSTI found melamine contamination in three brands of power milk that was imported from China.

Earlier, the BSTI has advised people to remain alert about consuming China produced powder milk-Iasli-1 and 2, and Baby Sweet.

The BSTI had colleted samples of 36 brands of milk powder and sent for laboratory tests. It said ban on the powdered milk would be imposed once the contamination is proved.

However, the government is yet to ban any brand of China produced tainted milk even after contamination has been detected.

Meanwhile, the Chinese Government banned a total of 22 brands of milk, which are also available in Bangladesh market, as many babies and children were infected and many others killed after consuming the melamine contaminated milk in China.

However, the import of contaminated milk has already been suspended following directives of the Ministry Industries.