A Dhaka Pure Food Court on Thursday fined Pran Dairy Ltd chairman and chief executive officer Ahsan Khan Chowdhury Tk 10 lakh in a case filed on charges of unauthorised production, marketing and sale of orange and lemon flavoured Aktive Plus Electrolyte Drink.
The judge of the court, Alaul Akbar, however, granted Ahsan Khan bail.
The court passed the order after he apologised to the court pleading guilty.
Ahsan Khan surrendered to the court following a warrant for his arrest.
On May 14, the court issued warrants for the arrest of top officials of seven companies, following Dhaka South City Corporation food safety inspector Kamrul Hasan filing five cases for unauthorised production, marketing, and sale of electrolyte drinks and using deceptive advertisements on that day.聽
On May 16, the court imposed fines of Tk 16 lakh on SMC Enterprise Ltd owner Waliul Islam.
On May 19, ACME Agrovet and Beverages Ltd owner Tanveer Sinha was fined Tk 16 lakh and Deshbandhu Food and Beverage Ltd chairman Golam Mostafa Tk 12 lakh.聽
On May 21, Akij Food and Beverage Limited chairman Sheikh Shamim Uddin was fined Tk 4 lakh.
The court, on May 20, passed a written order directing the Bangladesh Food Safety Authority to withdraw all SMC Plus electrolyte drinks from both markets and consumers, while no such directive was given for other products involved in the lawsuit.
Other officials against whom arrest warrants were issued are Sarajit Baral, chief executive officer, Agami Limited which is Deshbandhu鈥檚 marketing and selling partner; and Md Touhidul Islam, factory in-charge of Br眉vana Beverage Limited which produces mango flavoured Bruvana Sports+ Electrolyte Beverage.