Complaints against Sultan’s Dine not substantiated: DNCRP

The Directorate of National Consumer Rights Protection on Monday said it found no proof of using meat other than chevon or mutton in the biriyani of popular restaurant chain Suntan’s Dine.

The director general of the directorate, AHM Sofiuzzaman, at a press briefing said the restaurant can be relieved of charges as the allegations of using the meat of other animals it was not proven beyond doubt.

The directorate officials said the individual who had lodged a complaint with the directorate also remained absent at the hearing over the issue and the phone number provided with the complaint was found switched off, he added.

Sofiuzzaman, however, said they also sent samples of kachchi biriyani of Sultan’s Dine to the Bangladesh Food Safety Authority for laboratory tests to trace the meat of which animal is used in the biriyani.

Citing a previous similar complaint, Sofiuzzman said laboratory tests found no truth in that allegation and that the meat was beef.

Sultan’s Dine became the centre of discussion on social media after a video went viral where someone was accusing the restaurant of substituting chevon or mutton in its kachchi biryani. It prompted the DNCRP to conduct a raid on its Gulshan-2 branch last Thursday.

Abdul Jabbar Mandal, director of the Dhaka District Office of DNCRP, investigated the complaint against the restaurant.

The directorate officials said Sultan’s Dine sources meat through a vendor called ‘Ma Babar Doa Gost Bitan, at Kaptanbazar. During the goat slaughtering in Kaptanbazar, representatives of Sultan’s Dine sometimes remain present but usually, the vendor reaches the meat to the restaurant.

On March 9, the manager of Sultan’s Dine verbally informed of collecting 150 kg chevon but the vendor informed of supplying 125 kg. At Monday’s hearing, Sultan’s Dine officials said the verbal information of meat calculation given by its manager was wrong.

About the lean bones, the Sultan’s Dine management said that they use the meat of goats weighing 7 to 9 kg. Due to their smaller size, the bones remain thin, they said.