To ensure formalin-free fresh fish for the city-dwellers, the government yesterday set up a formalin-identification booth at the city's Karwan bazaar retail fish-market. Fisheries and Livestock Minister Abdul Latif Biswas formally inaugurated the formalin-detection centre or booth from where formalin-identification activities would be conducted with the kit made by BCSIR science lab.(The Independent)

Addressing the function the Minister said both fish customers and sellers would be able to remove the confusion by examining whether their fishes are treated with the toxic preservative or not.

Latif Biswas also stressed the need for creating awareness among the people, particularly the fish traders, about the harmful effects of the formalin chemicals rather than performing the task coercively.

"We don't want to do the task in policing way. If the fish traders can understand that formalin is not only harmful for the consumers but also for themselves, then we can hope for fish free from formalin."

He said more similar identification centres in city's other markets would gradually be set up to stop the sale of formalin-treated fishes-one of many health hazards mindlessly created through massive use of chemical preservatives in food items for lax administration and supervision.

Describing formalin-mixed fish as a cause of harms for both consumers and sellers, the Minister warned that people could be affected with stomach, lunch and respiratory cancers after taking such contaminated fishes. "Not only taking but also through inhaling formalin, people can fall in various illnesses -headache and respiratory complications."

Biswas said government officials and other stakeholders should build a social movement against food adulteration.

"The fisheries and livestock ministry will hold a series of view-exchange meetings where representatives from importers, wholesalers, retail trade bodies and bazaar committees will be present," he hoped.

He urged the businessmen to refrain from increasing the prices of essentials during Ramzan. "I have already issued directives to authorities concerned to take necessary measures for ensuring abundant fishes in the city markets. I am requesting the businessmen to keep the prices of daily necessaries at tolerable rates," he said.

The minister also called upon the fisheries department and Dhaka City Corporation to set up more formalin-testing booths in different city markets. "We need to work out a plan to stop the sale of formalin-treated fish in the country," he said.