Student hid blade in bread himself: Probe body

The investigation into the widely discussed incident of a razor blade being found inside a piece of bread served under the mid-day meal programme at a government primary school in Barishal has reached a different conclusion.

The probe committee says there is no evidence of negligence by the bread manufacturer. Instead, it claims that the student involved admitted to hiding the blade inside the bread.

The investigation report was submitted on Wednesday to Gouranadi Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Md Ibrahim by the committee's convener, Upazila Agriculture Officer Md Sekendar Sheikh.

According to the UNO, the committee inspected the bread manufacturing factory and examined every stage of the production process, from mixing the ingredients to final packaging. Based on its findings, the committee concluded that it was technically impossible for an intact razor blade to end up inside the bread during the automated production process.

The committee also interviewed teachers, students and guardians, and collected a blade from the student's home as part of the investigation. It found that the student had brought the blade to school. Fearing he would be reprimanded by teachers because carrying a blade was prohibited, he allegedly hid it inside the bread.

Later, when another student noticed the blade, he reportedly informed her teacher that she had found a blade in the bread, fearing the matter would otherwise be exposed.

The report also states that class teacher Sharmin Jahan took a photograph of the bread with the blade and shared it in a teachers' Messenger group without verifying the incident. The image later spread widely on social media, triggering nationwide discussion and concern.
Following the investigation, assistant teacher Sharmin Jahan was temporarily suspended for circulating the image without verifying the facts. The District Primary Education Office has also recommended departmental action against her.

Earlier, Shah Alam Khan, Project Director of bread supplier Island Trading Corporation, had maintained that the bread was produced through a fully automated process and that any metal object entering the production line would likely be damaged during mixing, making it highly unlikely for an intact blade to remain inside the finished bread.

The incident occurred on July 22 at Harisena Government Primary School in Gouranadi municipality, Barishal, when a first-grade student claimed to have found a razor blade inside the bread served during the school's mid-day meal programme. Images of the bread quickly went viral on social media, sparking widespread public concern.