Chattogram's Modern Food Testing Laboratory, a Tk 34.4 crore project funded by the Asian Development Bank, remains inoperable despite construction being completed in December 2015.

The project, initiated in 2013, aimed to ensure food safety in Chattogram by providing a facility to test a wide range of food items including milk, meat, vegetables, and edible oil. While testing began on a trial basis in January 2016, a crucial hurdle has rendered the results useless: the absence of a signing authority.

Though the Ministry of Food granted approval for the lab's operation in November 2016, it mandated maintaining quality, employing trained manpower, and upholding equipment standards. However, without signing authority, the lab cannot declare food items as safe or unsafe.

The chemistry and microbiology labs, filled with facilities, lie abandoned at Modern Food Testing Laboratory in Chattogram. Photo: Star

The project's initial tenure saw food inspectors collect samples for testing. However, the lack of a signing authority meant no official action could be taken based on the results.

Further crippling the lab's potential, project personnel, including microbiologist Priya Saha, haven't been regularised despite being appointed eight years ago. This lack of job security led to many leaving their positions, hindering the lab's ability to function effectively.

Adding to the troubles, the Chattogram City Corporation (CCC) has not yet assumed control of the lab's operations from the private firm Star Link, despite being scheduled to do so after 2021.

Visiting the laboratory in Bibirhat area of port city recently, this correspondent saw no test being done there.

In fact, an eerie silence prevailed in the entire three-storey laboratory building with 31 rooms across an 8,000 sq feet area.

The laboratory has two sections -- chemistry lab and microbiological lab. Each section has three labs with equipment. The laboratory also has a power sub-station.

"The project began with 24 officials including a director, a senior microbiologist and a senior chemist. The officials were supposed to be regularised as government officials later but it has not been done yet," Priya said.

"As a result, 17 left their job one after another," she added.

Shaheda Akter, another microbiologist, echoed her.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina laid the facility's foundation stone on October 12, 2013. The construction work to set up six modern labs with food testing facilities including 83 machines was completed in December 2015.

Contacted, Sheikh Mohammad Tauhidul Islam, chief executive officer of CCC, said the contractor company of the project was yet to hand over the laboratory to CCC.

"We had three meetings with them to this end, but they are dilly dallying in handing over the laboratory to us, although the project ended in June 2021," he said.

"They are demanding a huge sum of money from us citing their expenditure for maintenance of the lab for the past three years," the CCC CEO also said.

"However, we will take over the laboratory in a few weeks. We have appointed four staffers including a microbiologist, a cleaner and two security guards to run the laboratory for the time being. We have also been paying Tk 35,000 for the monthly electricity bill. Once we take over the lab, we will appoint adequate manpower to run it," he added.

The authority of Star Link, the contractor company, could not be reached for comments.