CropsAt a June 2026 roundtable in Dhaka, fruit expert Dr Md Mehedi Masud said farmers' fruit was once destroyed 'in the name of formalin' and demanded that those responsible face justice and that the affected farmers be compensated.
FruitsChuadanga began its 2026 mango harvest on 13 May with aanti, guti and Bombai mangoes under the district calendar; deputy commissioner Lutfun Nahar said calendar breaches would bring fines and proof of chemicals or formalin strict action.
FisheriesBAEC scientist Dr Mubarak Ahmad Khan reported that chitosan made from discarded shrimp shells kept mangoes, litchi, pineapple and tomatoes fresh for up to three weeks, offering a safer alternative to formalin.
A few simple methods, such as washing under running water and soaking in vinegar or lemon juice, can remove formalin from food.
Shykh Seraj finds that the early mangoes flooding markets were chemically ripened Indian imports, untested at the border while local growers waited.
Shykh Seraj reports growers' fears ahead of the mango season after formalin raids and informal harvest dates, and shares a variety-by-variety harvest calendar.
