The government has cleared a new law that imposes imprisonment for various periods and fines for violations and irregularities in food production, storage, transfer, transportation, supply, distribution, and marketing.
The cabinet gave final approval to a draft law during a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at the Cabinet Room of the National Parliament on Monday.
Cabinet Secretary Mahbub Hossain briefed the media after the meeting.
According to the law, excessive hoarding of food items beyond the amount set by the government will be termed as a criminal offence, for which a sentence of life imprisonment or a 14-year term of rigorous imprisonment has been proposed as the highest punishment. The perpetrators will also be fined, the amount of which will be determined by the court.
Manufacturing or marketing of any foodstuff by removing or altering its natural ingredients either wholly or partially will be counted as a punishable crime under the law as well.
“In this act, the provision of imprisonment from two years to five years and a fine of Tk 10 lakh has been made for providing unsafe or adulterated food products in the market. Violators of this Act shall be punished through Mobile Courts and Safe Food Courts. Hoarding food in the hope of more profit will be punishable by life imprisonment,” added the cabinet secretary.
He also said that if someone indulges in adulteration of food, then two years of imprisonment or a fine of Tk 10 lakh or both will be imposed.
On April 19 last year, the law was tabled in the cabinet and given in-principle approval.
The draft of the proposed law has been prepared by combining two previous laws. There are 20 sections in the new food safety act.