It held a rally and formed a human chain at Shahbagh in the city to press home its demand.

Leaders of the organisation called on all to come forward to prevent such illegal practice which poses serious health hazards.

They also called for raising mass awareness to stop such practice.

Mixing toxicants with food items has a crippling affect on human resource, the leaders said.

To keep fish fresh, many unscrupulous traders use formaldehyde which is normally used to preserve the dead bodies, said Abu Naser Khan, convenor of the organisation.

Even eating rice is now a threat to public health as farmers are using too much insecticides and chemical fertilisers during cultivation, he added.

Seasonal fruits are now available throughout the year but they have a bad effect on health as harmful chemicals are used to ripen them, Naser said.

Such fruits and vegetables are causing various diseases, including cancer, diabetes, high blood pressure and heart diseases, but the unscrupulous traders do not take this into account as they are busy earning a huge profit by using such harmful chemicals, said Sheikh Md Shahidulla.

Advocate Mizanur Rahman and Golam Kibria also spoke.