Restaurant owners demand forming task force, end to harassment and arbitrary arrests

The Bangladesh Restaurant Owners Association has demanded the formation of a task force to end random harassment and arrests in the name of raids aimed at ensuring standard practices.

The demand was made today (5 March) morning during a press conference held at the association's headquarters in Bijoynagar, Dhaka, organised to discuss the recent crisis in the restaurant industry followed by the Bailey Road fire and peaceful business operations during the holy month of Ramadan.

Imran Hasan, general secretary of the Bangladesh Restaurant Owners Association, said, "Several agencies are operating mobile courts in restaurants. Additionally, law enforcement agencies, such as Ansar, Police, and RAB, are actively engaged in ensuring food safety with their own magistrates. It's a mess. The government already has its regulatory body for food safety, which should be allowed to do their job."

Holding both the restaurant owners and the government administration accountable for the Bailey Road fire, he claimed that a rampage has ensued in the city eateries after the incident.

"Some corrupt officers are wielding power, and while doing so they are shutting down even licensed restaurants," he said, blaming that it is part of a conspiracy to destroy small restaurants and hand the sector over to multinational corporations.

Noting that restaurant owners are required approval from 12 ministries to open a restaurant, they said a discussion has been going on for a long time to create a unified guideline for restaurant owners and the industry.

"The government is not paying attention to our repeated call for a unified guideline, although the sector is currently dependent on 95% unskilled labour," they claimed.

Highlighting gas crisis faced by the restaurants, Imran Hasan said, "There is insufficient availability of Titas gas. Sometimes, there is no gas, even with a gas line connection. So, we are left with alternatives like gas cylinders and wood stoves. Wood burners leave the kitchen with sooty buildups and also harm the environment.

"To handle the existing crises, we demand the formation of a high skilled task force and a specific guideline to stop random eateries from popping up in future," he said, hoping to continue their business, preserving the sanctity of the upcoming Ramadan.

Expressing grief over the recent fire incident that killed 46 people, the Bangladesh Restaurant Owners Association announced a programme to hoist black flags and wear black badges at each restaurant next Thursday (7 February).