PM orders high-level committee on food safety, anti-adulteration drives

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman today directed the formation of a three-member high-level committee to identify challenges faced by agencies responsible for ensuring safe food, maintaining product standards, and conducting anti-adulteration drives.

According to a press release from the Prime Minister’s Office, the committee will comprise Public Administration Adviser Ismail Jabiullah, State Minister for Public Administration Abdul Bari, and Cabinet Secretary Nasimul Gani. It has been asked to submit a report within one month, outlining both immediate and long-term problems and recommending solutions.

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The directives were given at a meeting held at the prime minister’s office in Bangladesh Secretariat around 3:30pm.

Officials from the Directorate of Consumer Rights, Bangladesh Food Safety Authority, BSTI, city corporations, and field-level mobile court teams attended the meeting.

During the session, enforcement officials briefed the prime minister on challenges they face, and called for more manpower at the district level, better laboratories, modern field equipment and greater powers for mobile courts.

They also highlighted security risks encountered during drives against syndicates and influential groups.

The prime minister assured them of quick steps to address these issues and then ordered formation of high-level committee.

“There will be problems. Even then, we have to move forward through those problems. We cannot sit idle. Many countries in the world were once less developed than us, but today they have gone far ahead. We also have to move forward. If everyone works sincerely together, it is certainly possible. For the interest of the country, everyone has to be more responsible and aware,” said the prime minister.

“Many of our lakes are becoming full of waste. It is sad but true that these wastes are being thrown by educated people in society. Those who are supposed to be aware are often not aware themselves. To change the country, government steps alone are not enough. Citizens also need goodwill and responsibility. Everyone has to become aware and come forward,” he added.

Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister Abdus Sattar, Commerce Secretary Ataur Rahman Khan, Additional Press Secretary Atikur Rahman Rumon, and BSTI Director General Kazi Imdadul Haque were also present at the meeting.