Food Minister Dr Abdur Razzaque on Monday said the government is going to enact a Safe Food Law, aiming to ensure safe food for all. 

“The draft of the ‘Safe Food Bill 2013’ has been approved by the Cabinet. The bill will be placed in parliament soon,” he told a discussion in the city. Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) in partnership with Friedrich Naumann Foundation (FNF) orgainsed the discussion, titled ‘Food Safety’, at a city hotel.  

Razzaque said food adulteration nowadays has become a threat to the country’s people. “The government is sincerely trying to remove the threat ensuring safe food for people.” He said food security has three dimensions — availability of food, access to food and nutritionally balanced and safe food. “In terms of food availability, the government has achieved a marked progress in food security.”  

Access to food also marked a sharp progress as the government is distributing food among the poor as part of its electoral commitment, Razzque said adding that the third condition ‘nutritionally balanced and safe food’ has not yet achieved.  

FBCCI president Kazi Akram Uddin German Ambassador to Bangladesh Dr Albrecht Conze, FBCCI vice president Helal Uddin, country representative of FNF Dr Nazmul Hossen and first vice-president of FBCCI Monwara Hakim Ali, among others, spoke at the discussion.