Restaurant owners urge govt support to ensure food safety, compliance

Business leaders and entrepreneurs in the country's restaurant industry have urged the government to provide policy support to ensure food safety and compliance.

They made the call while highlighting the need to reduce the complexity of doing business at a meeting of the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce & Industry's (FBCCI) Standing Committee on "Food and Food Safety" held at the organisation's Motijheel office today (3 July).

Speakers at the meeting also requested assistance in addressing existing flaws and deficits within the restaurant industry, and a public-private partnership initiative to create skilled manpower for the sector.

The meeting was chaired by Imran Hasan, chairman of the standing committee and secretary general of the Bangladesh Restaurant Owners Association. Khandakar Ruhul Amin, director of the FBCCI, served as the committee's director-in-charge.

FBCCI President Mahbubul Alam, who attended the meeting virtually as the chief guest, said there is no alternative to ensuring nutritious and safe food for all.

He acknowledged the challenges of ensuring food safety in a densely populated country like Bangladesh but stressed the necessity of compliance.

In his address, the FBCCI president laid special emphasis on the development of a skilled and trained workforce for the restaurant industry to maintain the environment, safety, and food quality standards in restaurants.

"We should not focus solely on producing skilled manpower for overseas employment. It is equally important to develop sector-specific skilled workers for our own country," he added.