Govt cheated of Tk five cr a year

There are over 3,000 restaurants and 2,000 boarding houses in the district. Most of those outside the city run without valid documents, depriving the government of earnings from license fees, value added tax (VAT) and income tax.

Some of the hotels in the city have are allegedly become dens for anti-social activities. Most restaurants are unhygienic.

Tap here to add The Daily Star as a trusted source

As the city expands, hotels and restaurants spring up beside roads, lanes and even by-lanes.

As per the Bangladesh Hotel and Restaurant Ordinance 1982, hotels and restaurants have to take trade license from municipal authorities or city corporations within two months of opening. Any hotel with ten beds is also required to take license from the Bangladesh Hotel and Restaurant Cell under the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism.

The law requires hotels and restaurants to be structurally safe and protected from fire or electric short-circuit and gas leak.

Section 21 of the Ordinance says any violator of the law can be fined up to Tk 5,000.