SMC fined Tk 16 lakh for unauthorised electrolyte drink marketing

A Dhaka Pure Food Court on Thursday fined SMC Enterprise Ltd owner Waliul Islam Tk 16 lakh in a case filed on charges of unauthorised marketing and sale of electrolyte drinks.

The judge of the court, Alaul Akbar, however, granted Waliul bail.

The court passed the order after the SMC owner apologised to the court pleading guilty.

Waliul surrendered to the court following a warrant for his arrest.

Defence lawyer Abdur Rahman Howlader said, ‘It happened without his [Waliul’s] knowledge. He apologises for this mistake.’

The another accused in the case is Tanveer Sinha, owner of ACME Agrovet and Beverages Ltd, which produces SMC Plus orange and lemon-flavoured electrolyte drinks. SMC Enterprise Ltd serves as its marketing and sales partner.

On May 14, the court issued arrest warrants against top bosses of seven companies after five cases were filed by the DSCC food safety inspector, Kamrul Hasan,  on that day.

The court fixed June 5 and June 9 for next hearings in the case.

Officials against whom arrest warrants were issued are Tanveer Sinha, owner of ACME Agrovet and Beverages Ltd, which produces SMC Plus orange and lemon-flavoured electrolyte drinks; Waliul Islam, owner of SMC Enterprise Ltd, the company responsible for marketing the ACME drinks; Golam Mostafa, chairman of Deshbandhu Food and Beverage Ltd, which produces Recharge Orange Revive Electrolyte Drink; and Sarajit Baral, chief executive officer, Agami Limited which is Deshbandhu’s marketing partner.

The others facing the arrest warrants are Ahsan Khan Chowdhury, chairman and chief executive officer of Pran Dairy Ltd which produces orange and lemon flavoured Aktive+ Electrolyte Drink; Sheikh Shamim Uddin, chairman, Akij Food and Beverage Limited which produces Turbo Electrolyte Sports Drink; Md Touhidul Islam, factory in-charge of Brüvana Beverage Limited which produces mango flavoured Bruvana Sports+ Electrolyte Beverage.

According to the case, the marketed electrolyte drinks have no approval from the Directorate General of Drug Administration and the Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution.

The complaints also included that the companies marketing and selling the electrolyte drinks through advertisements on YouTube channels and social media sites, spreading false information about the products’ health benefits, such as curing dehydration and controlling low blood pressure.