The Cabinet with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair yesterday approved a draft law to prevent manipulation in food supply chain from production stage, suggesting tough punitive actions.
Cabinet Secretary Khandker Anwarul Islam said the proposed Production, Storage, Movement, Transportation, Supply, Distribution and Marketing of Food grains (Prevention of Prejudicial Activity) Act, 2022 was aimed mainly to punish anyone for committing any offense in any stage of the food supply system.
“Persons committing an offense under the proposed law will face as high as five-year jail or Taka 10 lakh as fine,” he told a media briefing at Bangladesh Secretariat after attending the meeting.
He said the proposed law was formulated merging the existing Food grains Supply (Prevention of Prejudicial Activity) Ordinance, 1979 and the Food (Special Courts) Act, 1956 while it was also aimed to ensure quality food items.
Islam said punitive measures were suggested for disseminating misleading information in the stages of production, storage, movement, transportation, supply, distribution and marketing of food grains as well.
The law was approved in principle, he added.
